What’s new?

The Toyota Innova SUV has been in the Indian market for quite some time. It was first launched here in 2005 and this is its third facelift. Customers, however, are still lapping it up and Toyota sells an average of 4,800 Innovas a month. But with fresher competition having hit our market over the past few years, the Innova’s sales have seen a slight decline, which explains why Toyota has tried to keep things fresh and introduced this facelift. The most noticeable change is the massive three-slat chrome grille and the fog lamp surrounds, also layered with chrome. There’s a big chrome strip on the new SUV that runs along the sides, but the rear is pretty much unchanged, save for some chrome garnish on the boot.

The very capable Tata Aria is an SUV we really like, and it’s a real shame that Tata’s MPV got off to such a poor start. It is one of the most comfortable cars in its class (more so on long drives), it’s bigger than the Innova and this translates to acres of room inside, it’s got a powerful yet frugal 2.2-litre diesel engine, and it’s built to be tough. With the Innova’s prices headed skyward, the top-of-the-line Z trim that we’re driving is only Rs 3,000 cheaper than the fully-loaded Tata Aria 4x4 Pride, which is priced at Rs 15.10 lakh. The question is, does the Tata Aria SUV deserve a second look at this price, or is the Innova still good enough? Continued..