Having sold over a million Innovas in the country over a 17-year period, Toyota Kirloskar Motor has unveiled an all-new avatar of its bestselling model today. Read more about it here.
- Over 50 percent buyers opt for diesel in cars priced over Rs 10 lakh
- Innova Crysta diesel to make a comeback in 2023
Current Innova Crysta to soldier on
Sources say that the third-gen Innova, the Hycross, will raise the bar on performance, safety and fuel efficiency, and offer both petrol and hybrid versions. However, Toyota continuing to sell its existing Innova Crysta with a diesel avatar, will offer the widest possible option to buyers.
Our sister publication Autocar Professional has learned that production of the Innova Crysta witnessed some disruption due to the chip shortage and supply chain challenges – compelling the company to stop taking bookings for the diesel variants. Production, however, will improve from February 2023 onwards, and the company will try to produce about 2,000-2,500 units per month to satiate the needs of predominantly diesel buyers.
For the next calendar year, sources say that the Innova Crysta will continue to account for a third of its C MPV production plan, and while other Japanese rivals like Maruti Suzuki and Honda Cars India have given up on diesel, Toyota will continue to offer the option in both the Innova Crysta and Fortuner.
Diesel market share
Overall, the share of diesel in the market has slipped to 18-20 percent. However, in vehicles priced above Rs 10 lakh, the share of diesel continues to be in excess of 50 percent led by offerings from Hyundai, Kia, Mahindra, Tata Motors and Toyota Kirloskar.
Even within the MPV space, which averages 20,000 units a month, diesel still accounts for over 50-60 percent of sales. While the Innova Crysta will ensure that Toyota holds on to prospective diesel buyers, the manufacturer would hope to bring in hybrid buyers with the Hycross – those looking for a modern, fuel-efficient alternative.
Production and supply woes
Toyota Motor Corporation is likely to miss its global production target this financial year due to chip shortages, forcing it to revise its sales forecast thrice over the last 12 months. Naturally, with India being linked to its global chip supply chain, production in the country also took a hit.
Between September-November 2022, Toyota Motor Corporation has reportedly taken a hit of 1 lakh units per month globally. Given the uncertainty in supplies, the production in India may get hampered in the future too. Toyota generally pulls the plug on previous generation models, and the continuation of the Crysta is a marked shift in its practice.
The Qualis gave way to the Innova in 2005, and in 2015, the Innova gave way to the Innova Crysta. But this is the first time that the company has decided to sell two generations of the same model to satiate pent up demand for the Innova Crysta, and have a wider market coverage with petrol, diesel, hybrid and CNG.
Rivan RS 
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
