- Toyota recently reintroduced the Innova Crysta in India
- Both Tata Safari & Toyota Innova Crysta come with a single diesel engine option
- Safari gets a 6 or 7-seat option & Toyota Innova Crysta gets a 7 or 8-seat option
Toyota recently reintroduced the Innova Crysta in the Indian market. The updated Innova Crysta will be made available in 4 variants with a 7 or 8-seat option. It is being offered in a single diesel engine option with just a manual gearbox and no automatic. Though the prices of the MPV are yet to be revealed, customers can now book any of the 4 variants of the Innova Crysta for Rs 50,000.
The Tata Safari which is available in a 6 or 7-seat option and comes with a single diesel engine option paired with a manual or automatic gearbox is set to get tough competition from the updated Innova Crysta. Both of them offer some unique features for your family but which of the two is a better family mover? Well, here's our comparison to help you choose the one for your family.
Toyota Innova Crysta VS Tata Safari: Powertrain
The reintroduced Toyota Innova Crysta gets the same engine that use to power the pre-facelift model i.e. a 2.4-litre diesel engine mated only to a 5-speed manual transmission option. However, there is no automatic transmission option with this one. The engine is expected to provide the same 148 bhp of power and 343 Nm of peak torque as it use to in the pre-facelift model.
On the other hand, the Tata Safari gets a 2-litre turbo diesel engine generating 170 PS of power and 350 Nm of torque. The engine comes mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic. Both, the engines of Innova and Safari are capable and appropriate for a family trip with fully loaded cabins. The only downside of the Innova Crysta is the lack of an automatic transmission option which the safari gets.
Toyota Innova Crysta VS Tata Safari: Space & Interior
The Innova Crysta comes in a 7 or 8-seat option. Innova has always been a spacious 3-row MPV. Whether it's space for the second or third row, Innova offers ample legroom, headroom, and width in both rows, thus accommodating 7 to 8 seats in total. The 7-seater option comes with captain seats in the second row whereas the 8-seater option comes with a benched layout in the second row. Moreover, where most of the 7-seaters MPVs suffer from poor luggage carrying capacity when all seats are up, the Innova Crysta gets one of the best boot space with all seats up. So, if you're planning a weekend getaway with your family, Innova will be the better companion.
On the other hand, Tata Safari offers a 6 or 7-seat option. The 6-seater option comes with captain seats in the second row whereas the 7-seater option comes with bench seats in the second row. The Safari is also considered one of the most spacious 3-row 6/7-seater vehicles in the segment. The third-row space in safari is much better than most competing cars in the segment. Where Safari lacks is the boot space. When all seats are up, the boot space could be described as negligible. One could only fit a few smaller luggage in the boot of the Safari when the third row is up.
Toyota Innova Crysta VS Tata Safari: Features & Safety
The Toyota Innova Crysta is a feature-loaded family MPV as it offers some unique features like interior ambient lighting, multi-zone automatic climate control with rear AC display, front & rear parking sensors, foldable trays with cup holder for the second-row seats, 8-way power adjustable driver seat, smart entry system, one-touch tumble & reclining second-row seats, and much more. However, a sunroof is missing from the list.
On the other hand, the Tata Safari also offers some unique features like wireless phone charging, wireless android auto/apple car play, an inbuilt air purifier, a 7-inch driver display, TPMS, electronic parking brake with auto hold, auto-dimming IRVM, ventilated front and second-row seats, auto headlamps & wipers, iRA connected car tech, JBL/Harman powered 9 speaker infotainment system, a panoramic sunroof, and much more.
On the safety front, the Toyota Innova Crysta offers up to 7 airbags, ABS, EBD, ESP, traction control, brake assist, and hill hold control. Whereas Tata Safari offers up to 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, ESP, traction control, hill hold control, corner stability control, rollover mitigation, brake disc wiping, and all-disc brakes.
Verdict: Both, Toyota Innova Crysta and Tata Safari offer something unique for a family. Both miss out on some or the other feature. Innova misses out on an automatic gearbox option and a panoramic sunroof, whereas Safari suffers from negligible boot space when all seats are up. However, both vehicles seem to be appropriate for a family of 6 or 7 members. While the Tata Safari is priced between Rs 15.65 lakh to Rs 24.01 lakh (ex-showroom), we expect Toyota to price the Innova Crysta between Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh (ex-showroom). This will make the two vehicles close competitors when it comes to pricing. Now, you just need to decide by answering these three simple questions to yourself i.e. How important is an automatic transmission for you? Do you really need a panoramic sunroof? And, how much boot space will you require when all the seats are up? Answering these three simple questions to yourself will help you finalize your decision.
