Nissan Evalia vs. Toyota Innova: Comparison

Nissan today launched the Evalia MPV in India, in four variants with prices ranging between Rs. 8.49 lakh and Rs. 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). This seven-seater MPV is interesting for the Indian market, with its spacious and comfortable interiors. So, can it compete effectively with the most popular Indian MPV; the Toyota Innova? We find out.

Price

The Evalia like we mentioned falls in the Rs.8.49 lakh to Rs.9.99 lakh range. 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.

This makes it much more attractive for value conscious buyers. The base Evalia is Rs. 74,000 cheaper than the base Innova while the top end Evalia is Rs.3.73 lakh cheaper than the top end Innova. We will talk about how value for money the Evalia is in comparison to the Innova in the features and gadgets section below.

Looks

The Evalia is not a very good looking car but neither is the Innova. It will take sometime for people to get used the Evalia’s traditional MPV like dimensions along with the unique yet slightly quirky looking front. Also read: Nissan launches Evalia MPV at a starting price of Rs. 8.49 lakh

The Evalia is boxy and squared off, but the headlamps are neatly designed and in profile it looks reasonably good. The Evalia comes close to the Innova in the looks department, but the Innova still looks better proportioned. Overall the Innova still manages to look more attractive than the Evalia if the opinion of the majority is taken into account.

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.  This front wheel drive MPV has a motor that is mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The engine is fuel efficient with a claimed mileage of 19.3 kmpl in the real world we got about 11.5 kmpl (During our test drive on varied terrain). Also read: Nissan Evalia road test and review

The Toyota Innova comes in both petrol and diesel but the Evalia comes only in diesel. The Innova sports a 2,494 cc engine that makes 101 bhp of power and 200 nm of torque. It comes with a 5 speed manual transmission and is a rear wheel drive. The Innova does have more power and feels very car like in the way it handles. The Evalia exhibits similar driving characteristics but is it better than the Innova? Well, we think it isn’t better but it does come close. Where it wins is in terms of ride quality; the Evalia is better than the Innova.

Space and comfort

The Evalia is more spacious and comfortable than the Innova. 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.

The front seats are supportive and well bolstered. The gear lever is dash-mounted freeing up more space for your legs. The third row in the Evalia is much more spacious than the Innova.

Features

The Evalia comes with a host of useful features. All variants of the Evalia feature ABS and EBD, while the XEPlus, XL and XV variants get dual airbags as well. 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.

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 Innova still has the edge in terms of features. The Evalia’s middle row windows do not roll down or slide (only a butterfly type pop-open function), there is no middle row AC vent, no day night mirror and no Bluetooth or steering mounted audio controls.