Toyota Kirloskar Motor recently launched the Innova Hycross in India and this is the third generation of the MPV with a completely fresh look. While the prices are yet to be announced, the booking for the model, which will go on sale in January 2023, has already commenced. However, Toyota will be selling the Crysta alongside the Hycross making it a bit difficult for customers to select between the models. So here’s the list of differences between the two, to make it simple for you to choose the one that’ll suit your needs.

1. Chassis

The new Toyota Innova Hycross is under-pinned by Toyota’s TNGA-C platform with a monocoque body. It is more of a crossover design when compared to the Crysta, which is based on the manufacturer’s IMV (Innovative International Multi-purpose Vehicle) platform that uses a ladder-on-frame chassis for its construction.

The ladder-on-frame chassis gives the Crysta a rear-wheel drive setup, while the Hycross is a front-wheel drive MPV. Moreover, the body-on-frame chassis is more rugged and tough than a monocoque setup, which means the Crysta can take a beating and still continue running.

However, a monocoque body means it’ll be much more refined, have better on-road dynamics, and will have superior driving comfort over its predecessor.

2. Design

The Hycross is the latest offering from the manufacturer and comes with a fresh design. It looks bolder, smarter, and sportier when compared to the Crysta. It gets a new hexagonal front grille fringed by chrome accents and flanked by fresh pairs of LED DRLs and LED headlamps along with sharp creases all around. The Crysta on the other hand gets a trapezoidal grille surrounded by chrome accents and projector lens headlamps.

At the rear, the Hycross gets a roof spoiler for a sporty look, a raked windshield, and a blacked-out wraparound LED taillight connected by a chrome strip at the centre. Meanwhile, the Crysta gets a more upright rear profile and a comparatively higher loading lip than the Hycross.

The Innova Crysta appears taller and also rides on 17-inch alloy wheels. In contrast, the Hycross gets 18-inch alloy wheels on the higher variants while the pure gasoline variants get 16-inch steel wheels. A 17-inch alloy wheel option is available on the base hybrid version.

3. Dimensions

In terms of dimensions, the Hycross measures 4755mm in length, 1850mm in width, and 1795mm in height. Alternatively, the Crysta measures 4735mm in length, 1830mm in width, and 1795mm in height. So to sum it up, the Crysta is 20mm shorter in length and width than the Hycross, which also comes with a wheelbase that’s longer by 100mm and now measures 2850mm resulting in more space inside the cabin.

The boot space with the second and third rows folded is 991 litres, which is less than the Crysta which offers 1128 litres of space with the two rows folded.

4. Interior and features:

The Innova Crysta staidly missed out on a few features that the Hycross manages to address. The MPV is now loaded with six airbags, a powered tailgate, and a 360-degree camera, and there’s also connected car technology with over 65 features. Besides this, it now gets a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a nine-unit JBL speaker including a subwoofer, a panoramic sunroof with mood lights and roof-mounted AC, electrically adjustable front ventilated seats, and has powered Ottoman seats in the middle row, all of which were missing in the Crysta.

5. Safety

The Hycross is the first from the manufacturer to come loaded with its ADAS Tech, called Toyota Safety Sense in India. It includes features like lane departure assist, rear cross-traffic alert, blind spot monitor, pre-collision system, auto high beam and more. Meanwhile, its predecessor is fairly equipped with up to seven airbags, hill-start assist, TPMS, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX, and front as well as rear parking sensors.

6. Performance

The Hycross gets an option of a 2.0-litre gasoline engine producing 172bhp and 205Nm of torque mated with a CVT unit, and a 2.0-litre petrol hybrid engine with 183bhp and 206Nm of torque paired with an E-CVT transmission. Both mills send power to the front wheels.

The Toyota Innova Crysta is currently available only in a 2.7-litre petrol engine belting out 164bhp and 245Nm of torque when paired with a five-speed manual transmission. It used to be available in a 2.4-litre diesel engine churning out 147bhp and 343Nm of torque mated with a five-speed manual transmission and a six-speed torque converter delivering power to the rear wheels. The bookings for the diesel are halted as of now, but some sources have confirmed that the booking will resume from January 2023.