Toyota Innova HyCross seen next to a Fortuner luxury SUV

The media drives of the Toyota Innova HyCross hybrid MPV are on, and the Japanese automaker is positioning its latest offering as a crossover thanks to the butch design language. Here is a picture of the Innova HyCross next to a Toyota Fortuner luxury SUV. From the picture, it’s clear that the Innova HyCross has quite some street presence, and the luxurious crossover manages to hold its own even next to a massive SUV such as the Fortuner.

Image courtesy Shutterdrives

This is something that a lot of buyers will be excited about as the Innova HyCross offers the driving dynamics of a car, luxury of a MPV, and the street presence of a SUV. In short, the Toyota Innova HyCross is a crossover that’s likely to appeal to a wide section of buyers. Toyota may well have a monster hit at hand if it prices the Innova HyCross well. Even SUVs such as the Mahindra XUV700 and Tata Safari could feel the heat from the HyCross.

Hybrid at the heart of the HyCross

The Toyota Innova HyCross will be the second mass market strong hybrid car from the Japanese automaker for the Indian market. Strong hybrid means that there’s a powerful electric motor to supplement the petrol engine. Apart from excellent smoothness, refinement and punchy torque right from idle, the Innova HyCross’ most impressive part is the claimed fuel efficiency of over 21 Kmpl. The front wheel drive layout, lighter monocoque body and the petrol-strong hybrid have come together to make the HyCross exceptionally fuel efficient, and this should wow a lot of buyers. The Innova HyCross Strong Hybrid is much more fuel efficient that the rear wheel driven Innova Crysta 2.4 Diesel, and more powerful as well. The strong petrol hybrid makes a combined output of over 180 Bhp. A eCVT automatic gearbox will drive the front wheels of the strong hybrid.

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Toyota will also offer a 2 liter, naturally aspirated petrol engine (172 Bhp) on the lower variants without the hybrid set-up. A CVT automatic gearbox will be standard even on this engine, making the HyCross a supremely convenient car.

Packed with features and technology

ADAS, short for advanced driver assistance system, will make an appearance for the first time in a Toyota sold in India through the Innova HyCross. The ADAS safety suite is powered by radar and camera-based technology, and gets features such as Dynamic radar cruise control, auto high beam assist, blind spot monitor (BSM), pre-collision system, rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA) and Lane Trace Assist.

As for features, the Innova HyCross is a big upgrade over the Innova Crysta. A stand-out feature is the panoramic sunroof – the first for a Toyota MPV in India. Other key highlights on the HyCross include quilted chestnut leather seats, ventilated front seats, 8-way power adjustment with memory function for the driver’s seat, push start-stop button, and powered Ottoman seats in the middle row, electrochromic inside rearview mirror, panoramic sunroof with mood lighting, roof-mounted AC vents, powered tailgate, 9-speaker JBL sound system and paddle shifters.

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