Testing Toyota’s Innova G M/T

I approached my test of Toyota’s new Innova with high expectations. By the time I got my hands on a test unit, three months have passed since the Innova’s launch and it has absolutely dominated the sales charts.

It’s easy to see why: sleek styling that’s light years away from its Revo predecessor, a choice of two utterly state-of-the-art engines, and a spacious and well-appointed cabin that wouldn’t be out of place in the much more expensive (P1.7million) Toyota Previa minivan.

I tested the gasoline-engined variant to see how well it makes a case out of being a poor man’s Previa. Both vehicles have four-cylinder DOHC 16-valve fuel-injected powerplants with Toyota’s VVT-i system, the only difference being the Previa’s engine being 400cc bigger than the Innova’s 2.0-liter displacement.

The latter motor develops a strong 136 ps at 5,600 rpm and 18.6 kg-m of torque at 4000 rpm. (The diesel engine makes less horsepower but more torque).

Just like the styling, the new engine is worlds apart from the Revo’s old gas engine. Forget noise and vibration because you won’t find any, even at high revs. Power is served up oh-so-smoothly. And there’s lots of it for spirited driving, especially when the motor is mated to a five-speed manual transmission like the one in our test car. (An automatic is available for both gas and diesel engines.)

On the road, you’d feel those tiny body quivers that’s characteristic of any vehicle with a ladder-frame chassis and a rigid (read: non-independent) rear axle, be it a pickup, an AUV or a Chevrolet Suburban. The upside, however, is the way the Innova minimizes this. On a smooth road, the ride is not too far off from the Previa’s, especially considering that the Innova is a good P800,000 cheaper. Hit a bump or pothole, though, and the impact betrays the ladder-frame construction and rigid rear axle. Still, it’s way better than in the Revo or any of its AUV competitors. Credit for the much smoother ride goes to the stiff body, the all-coil spring suspension (double wishbones in front) and the very smooth riding 215/60R-15 Yokohama tires.

Handling, too, is a revelation. While no tall vehicle can ever corner as sure-footedly as a car, the Innova does it with a much higher sense of stability than any other AUV or even some SUVs and minivans for that matter.

Inside, despite the lack of leather seats, the Innova eschews the low-rent feel of the Revo in favor of plush mocquette, thickly padded seats and the impressive absence of those cheap-looking tubular steel legs that held up the seats of its predecessor. The second and third row seats are reconfigurable, with the latter now a front-facing, side-folding setup designed for real people. The sculpted dash is now decidedly less truckish with a real center console, Camry-like Optitron gauges, and 12-volt accessory outlet. The center console also features a multi-information LCD panel, as well as an MP3-capable stereo/CD player. There is even a switchable backup sensor (unfortunately with very weak warning tones) to aid reversing. The driver’s seat is height-adjustable, the steering wheel is tilt-adjustable, and rear ceiling-mounted A/C vents ensure no hot spots even during the torrid temperatures we had during the Innova’s one-week stay with us.

At its as-tested price of P915,000, the top-of-the-line manual transmission-equipped Innova G is one heck of a good buy. I’m hard-pressed to think of another vehicle at this price point that can do what the Innova does — as well as it can.

The Good:

• best-in-class styling

• best-in-class refinement

• best-in-class performance

• best-in-class value

The Bad:

• no ABS

• no passenger airbag

• weak backup sensor signals

The Verdict:

Simply the best buy people mover whether you talk of minivans, AUVs or SUVs.