Nissan Evalia versus Toyota Innova and Mahindra Xylo

The Nissan Evalia looks like an interesting MPV for the Indian market, with its spacious and comfortable interiors. But for the Evalia to really make a mark in the Indian MPV segment it has to face the Toyota Innova and the Mahindra Xylo. Can it compete effectively with the most popular MPVs in India? We compare the Evalia, Xylo and Innova to find out.

Price

The Evalia will be launched in September in four variants (XE, XEPlus, XL and XV) and is expected to be priced between  Rs. 8 lakh and Rs. 11 lakh. The Toyota Innova is priced in the range of Rs. 9.23 lakh (for the base diesel) to Rs. 13.72 lakh for the top of the line diesel variant. The Mahindra Xylo starts from Rs.7.50 lakh and goes up to Rs.10.52 lakh for the top end fully loaded variant. Also read: Nissan Evalia road test and review

The Evalia will have to target the Mahindra Xylo on price if it really wants to make a mark. For now, the Xylo still seems the most value for money.

Looks

The Evalia is not a spectacular looking car but neither are the two MPVs we are comparing it with. In MPV terms the design of the Evalia is rather unique. It is boxy and squared off, but the neatly designed headlamps and the side profile help break the monotony. The Evalia comes close to the Innova in the looks department, but the Innova still looks better proportioned. The Xylo even after its facelift still doesn’t quite cut it.

Overall, the Innova is still the best looking out of the three.

Performance

The Nissan Evalia is powered by a 1.5 litre K9K diesel engine that makes 84 bhp of power and 200 Nm of torque. It is mated to a five-speed manual transmission and is a front wheel drive. The Toyota Innova comes in both petrol and diesel. Since the Evalia is available only in diesel we will only compare diesel variants. The Innova sports a 2,494 cc engine that makes 101 bhp of power and 200 nm of torque. It is mated to a 5 speed manual transmission and is a rear wheel drive. The Xylo comes with three diesel engine options. One is a 2,489cc engine that makes 95 bhp of power and 220 nm of torque. The second is also a 2,498 cc motor that belts out 112 bhp of power and 260 Nm of torque. And the top-end variant, the Xylo E9, comes with a 2,179 cc diesel engine that puts out 120 bhp of power and 290 Nm of torque. Also read: Which is the most popular MPV among Ertiga, Xylo and Innova?

So in terms of pure power the Xylo has an edge but the way it actually performs on tarmac isn’t very impressive thanks to the sloppy handling characteristics. This is where the Innova wins, it feels very car like to drive and its 101 Bhp of power seems to be more than enough to power it through city traffic and on open highways. The Evalia stands nowhere in terms of on paper specs but the ride quality is better than the Innova and the Xylo. Torque in the Evalia comes in very linearly and power is available from as low as 1000 rpm. It is very drivable in the city because of its low end performance; add to that a tight turning radius and it makes it easy to weave in and out of traffic.

Space and comfort

The Evalia is the most spacious and comfortable of the lot. The Xylo has too much body roll in comparison to the Innova and Evalia. The Innova is great to drive and is also very comfortable, but the Evalia, thanks to the extra space and ride quality, is much more comfortable. If it is space and comfort that you are looking or then the Evalia with its seven seats (in three rows) is the best choice. It is even more so as all three rows are more or less equally spacious. Also read: Over 1 lakh people have bought a Mahindra Xylo

The front seats are supportive and well bolstered. The gear lever is mounted on the dashboard which means you get more space for your legs. The third row in the Evalia is the most spacious among the three.

Features

The Evalia comes with a host of useful features. It has two foldable tray tables, sliding doors for easy access to the middle row, independent AC vents for the last row with a separate AC blower control and manual air-conditioning on all variants as well as ABS with EBD. Certain variants also get dual airbags.

It also comes with an integrated music system with four speakers, large power-adjustable mirrors, a reverse camera with display on the multi-function display screen, follow-me home headlamps and keyless entry and ignition. It has a safety feature that won’t let you start the car till you press the brake pedal.

However the Evalia is far from at par with the Innova and Xylo in terms of features. There are a host of things it does NOT have. The middle row windows do not roll down or slide (only a butterfly type pop-open function), no middle row AC vents, no day night mirror and no Bluetooth or steering mounted controls.

In terms of features the new Xylo has a lot to offer and is better loaded than both the Innova and the Evalia.

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