Toyota Innova Hycross 7 People Review; The Best Out There?

The Innova Hycross is the latest evolution of the famed Toyota Innova nametag in India, and it comes across as a worthy contender for a spot in your garage if you're looking for a comfortable and reliable people mover, that also adds in a touch of sophistication. Well, that is the claim, and so we set out on a hot summer afternoon to test this claim, with a full load of luggage and passengers.

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Toyota Innova Hycross 7 People Review; From The Backseat

Now, it's not usual for us to begin from the backseat, but that's exactly what we wil. be doing. Being the shortest two people in the team, Prashant and I got thrown in the last row right away. Usually you would find me complaining, but not this time, because unlike most cars with a third row of seats, the Hycross' third row does not feel like a formality. The seat is actually comfortable, even with a six-footer sitting in the Ottoman chair in front of me. Yes, one cannot expect a huge amount of space there, but we still had just about enough legroom, and there was some space under the Ottoman chairs for us to tuck our feet under as well.

There was space on both sides, where we could rest our arms or keep our phones. However, if your phone battery is running low, you will want to sit on the left side as it gets a USB charging port.

Toyota Innova Hycross 7 People Review; The Middle Row

The Ottoman chairs are definitely the place to be in when you are in the Innova Hycross. These chairs will make you feel properly comfortable, with a great amount of recline, under thigh support and excellent bolstering. Not to mention, these seats can also be slid forward and backward depending on your need for space. Regardless, there will be enough legroom here for most people, but you cannot tuck your feet under the front seats.

The large panoramic sunroof further helps brighten up the cabin, and while we could not test this one aspect during the day time, there are ambient lighting panels on the sunroof, which further make things look even cooler at night. Another interesting bit are the second-row cupholders, which also come with an extended tray as well.

Toyota Innova Hycross 7 People Review; The Front Row

Despite being a large car, sitting in the driver seat of the Hycross does not feel as intimidating as one would expect it to be, and that is largely due to the large glass house that allows for better visibility all around. The front seats are also quite supportive and they come with good bolstering. The cabin is wide enough and our shoulders didn't rub against each other. From the driver's perspective, the controls fall to hand easily, and you don't have to reach out too much for the touchscreen either. The column-mounted gear shift lever feels quite futuristic as well, almost mimicking the feel of a modern airplane.

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The Drive Experience

Toyota has done a rather fantastic job with the suspension of the Hycross. There was none of the crashing or puttering one can usually feel when going over speedbreakers or rutted roads, especially with a full load of passengers and luggage with on board. This helps from a driver's perspective, as the Hycross simply gobbles up everything that comes its way, enabling the driver to traverse through bad roads without much fuss.

This is a very efficient car despite its size; in a mix of city and highway conditions, while commuting alone from Delhi to Gurgaon, we saw efficiency figures of 18-19kmpl. When cruising on highways at 80-85kmph, one can also manage figures of 20+ kmpl. In fact, during our test run with seven people and luggage on-board, the on-board system continued to show us an efficiency figure of 16kmpl. This should help quash doubts from the minds of those who have been apprehensive of bigger cars with a petrol engine underneath. The cabin remains silent for the most part due to the hybrid powertrain, but the engine does roar to life if you mash on the accelerator pedal.

The comfort factor remains consistent in the middle row and even the last row as well. While normally you would expect to get thrown around in the last row, that is not the case here. The cabin remains sorted and you will not feel much of the road enter through easily. When taking a quick turn, the last row passengers will be able to feel a slight flexing, but that is about it. With the third passenger in the last row, things do get a little bit tight, but even then, shorter trips and city runs will be quite manageable since it does not get too cramped. However, with six people and luggage, the Innova Hycross seems to do the job very well, making it an effective people carrier.

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There are, however, a few small misses here and there. For an ex-showroom price of close to Rs 32 lakh, Toyota could have offered power-adjustable recline and slide function for the front passenger, along with a cooled glovebox, and wireless charging for your smartphone. The resoultion of the camera also could have been better. However, these are small things when you factor in the comfort and practicality offered by the Hycross, be it over both short or long trips.