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Toyota Innova (by Asian Auto magazine Malaysia) This has been one of the most talked about vehicles prior to launch for this year. With our motoring population sold on the MPV culture, even small families of just 2 adults and retired pensioners have been waiting for this Unser replacement to arrive. Promises of better space and on road dynamics have fuelled interest beyond the expectations of UMW Toyota and just like its successful Avanza, a waiting list has formed. |
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With a passenger capacity of 7 adults in comfort or 8 in a squeeze, the
Innova brings to urban dwellers a better priced option over expensive
grey imported people movers that offer lesser space and higher running
costs. Physical Appearance Immediate impression of the Innova suggests a streamlined squashed Unser. Aerodynamically better looking with form following function all the way, the Innova resembles a higher priced SUV with a tall handsome 'Torpedo' like profile. From the side profile there is a long queue of windows over a very high waistline that tapers slightly off downwards. The nose up front resembles most modern Toyotas with a large colour coded grill, the now popular large Toyota logo and upswept large headlamps that flow up to the fenders. From the rear, the Innova looks minimal and van like in its execution, except for the triangular reddish tail lamps. The wheels are larger than those on the last generation Unser, but still look absolutely inadequate for the mass it has to carry and the sheer size of the Innova. Powertrain Provided The Innova is powered by a ITR-FE 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that features Toyota VVT-i (variable valve timing with intelligence) technology, a technology that is also found in the engines of the Vios, Corolla Altis and Camry. Maximum power output is 100kW/136ps @ 5600rpm while maximum torque is 182Nm @ 4000rpm. Customers have a choice of four versions two of them with five-speed manual and two with four-speed automatic electronic-controlled transmission (ECT) delivering power to the rear wheels. The more expensive G versions come with anti-lock braking system and driver-side SRS airbag as standard, but not the cheaper E versions. Our test car was the range topper. Toyota says the chassis frame, called the Toyota Outstanding Performance Platform (TOP), provides a more comfortable ride as well as less noise, vibration and harshness and after 2 and a half days with out test car we have to agree with them and the 'TOP' system. The chassis frame sits on a coil spring suspension system comprising a double wishbone layout at the front and a 4-link layout at the rear. Toyota says the suspension settings have been tuned to match road conditions in Malaysia, so there's good drivability, stability and comfort whatever the load on board. Precious Comfort There is enough space in this vehicle for Toyota to market it as a mini bus. The commercial long wheel base Liteace comes close in interior space but losses out by a huge margin in refinement and styling. Once inside, the car shrinks around you. You will forget you walked into a luxury car by mistake as there is a plush ness you don't associate with people carriers in this price category. The dashboard is a close cousin of the latest Hilux dashboard with a lighter colour. Beige coloured plastics and fabrics greet you with too much brightness. All switches and buttons have a tactile feel comparable to a common parts bin of a luxury Toyota car. The stereo system sits high up on the dashboard, topped by a sleek looking Multi-information Display (MID). Only available on the top-end model, it gives useful information like outside temperature, average fuel consumption, real-time fuel consumption, average speed, elapsed time, range/distance at your fingertips. The mockwood panelling must have been approved by a colour blind manager. A lighter shade of pine would have been more appropriate. For some strange reason, fake plastic wood veneer seems to be popular with many vehicle manufacturers here in Malaysia. Interior space and comfort is class-leading, and the Innova feels far more spacious than the popular Wish and Estima and its older sibling, the Unser. The front seats are pretty generous, with seat- and steering wheel-height adjustment available. The thoughtfully designed middle row is placed quite high off the floor, allowing a comfortable seating posture. Though not quite as comfy as the Estima's middle-row seats, the Innova has plenty of legroom and width for the central passengers. The rear seats are comfy with ample legroom for adults. The middle and rear seats flip forward, and tilt enough to allow easy access for overweight editors to get in the back, typical of other MPVs in this market. What's unique is a 50:50 split for the rear-most seats. It adds to the versatility of the Innova, but limits the rear-most seats to two passengers. Our test unit came equipped with ABS (anti-lock braking system) and airbags for the driver and passenger. Propulsion on the Tarmac Toyota created the IMV platform – International Innovative Multipurpose Vehicle - when they realized that people movers wearing the Toyota badge in many countries were looking rather dated. The IMV platform involves body-on-chassis vehicles. But if the Innova is any benchmark to go by, these vehicles are built to a new standard of refinement, performance and safety. The petrol engine employs Toyota's variable valve timing (VVT-i) technology and is as refined as four-cylinder petrol engines get. This 2000cc engine is good enough for 136bhp. On the move, the 2.2-tonne vehicle shrinks and become almost as agile as a luxury car. That means it can be hauled into corners the way you would expect any rear-wheel driven car can be and it may look a bit unwieldy carving corners at 100 kph, but the fact remains that you can. My first experience of the Innova was made up of a few days around Klang Valley. The ride quality on good surfaces is very car-like. Gone is the leaf-spring rear suspension borrowed from pickups and in comes a splendid four-link setup that compliments the double-wishbones up front to offer a more car-like drive. Product Pricing Safety has been a priority in the development of the Innova and it is even more evident when you notice that it comes with wide Continental 15 inch rubbers across the model line-up. The Innova is sold with the following colours, Hazel Brown, Arctic Silver, Champagne Gold, Cosmo Red, Jade Green, Pacific Blue and Coal Black. The only downside in the Innova's mass appeal is the fake wood veneer, shallow cup holders in front, the rather uninteresting profile and its immediate lack of performance and visual accessories that could move it up the prestigious ladder. However, we have learned that an SUV on the IMV platform is on the way later in 2005 and should look a lot better. |
Big and stylish enough for... |
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Sunday September 4, 2005
Here at last was a chance to buy some large furniture and take them home minus the delivery charges. And a fine opportunity to test the truth in glossy brochures - that MPVs give you useful cargo space by cleverly folding up the second and third-row seats. Unfortunately, our excitement evaporated as the furniture we were eyeing was beyond our budget. We drove home with a cheap lamp, a towel rack, two plastic flower pots and some clothe hangers that would have made the trunk of a Perodua Kancil seem generous. Not to be defeated by this little setback, we explored other opportunities to load large items into the Innova. I enlisted the help of my younger brother Kong, a weekend cyclist who mounts his carbon-fibre frame bicycle on the roof rack of his Proton Wira when he drives to his cycling spot. Carrying a bicycle in this way is a simple affair but you have to live with the unsightly look, aggravated wind noise at speed and increased fuel consumption, besides exposing the bicycle to the elements and possible theft. When the prospect came for Kong to meet up with his cycling buddies with his bicycle safely tucked inside the Innova, he did not hesitate. A few quick tugs on the rear seats release cords and Innova instantly transforms from a people mover into a cargo carrier. Its high roofline enabled the bicycle to be carried upright, allowing room for one or two more bicycles. The Innova looks big from the outside and feels cavernous inside, with more than enough room to carry eight people comfortably. Some people say the Innova looks like the Avanza, its smaller MPV kin, except the Innova weighs some 350kg more and is larger and beefier. It shares many genetics of the Toyota family, among them the big flowing and sleek headlamps that are similarly shaped to those on the Avanza and Camry. Its 2.0-litre engine also shares Toyota's innovative VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with intelligence) technology seen on the Vios, Altis, Camry and Avanza for better power, mileage and cleaner emissions.
Inside the driver and passengers sit high and in typical MPV tradition, cup holders and storage pockets are everywhere and enough for every man, woman and child onboard, while the dual air conditioner ensures those at the rear get their share of cool air. Its engine offers adequate performance for city and highway driving. During normal road driving, the engine was relatively quiet and gear changes hardly felt. When the revs get higher that noise from the engine and belt-driven mechanical cooling fan starts to intrude into the vehicle. The Innova feels stable with coils springs on all wheels doing a good job of absorbing the bumps and potholes. But the ride gets better when the vehicle is fully laden with passengers and stuff. For a large vehicle, the Innova can also take tighter turns as it is rear-wheel driven as opposed to a front wheel-drive vehicle. The anti-lock braking system worked perfectly and enabled us to steer the Innova confidently during hard braking. For the time being, the 2.0G variant comes with driver-only airbag. The Innova's high integrity cabin with front and rear crumple zones with side impact beams ensure occupant safety in collisions. Although designed as a family MPV, the Innova does have several features that lend it a touch of luxury, among them the beige-coloured seats and interior, stylish gate-type gear shift panel, centre multi-information display and the Optitron meters, previously developed for the upmarket Lexus brand. The 2-DIN audio system which comes with a compact disc player, FM/AM tuner and MP3 capability, blends well with the Innova's dashboard design and the digital display for the air-conditioning. The Innova's powerful headlights and bumper mounted fog lights brighten up the scenery during night driving. The large wing rear-view mirrors with wide viewing angle allow us to see even down to the ground, a useful feature especially when reversing into a tight parking bay. Innova SpecsEngine: 1,998CC, Four cylinder, double overhead camshaft, VVT-iMaximum power: 100kW at 5,600rpm Maximum torque: 182Nm at 4,000rpm Transmission: 4-speed automatic with ECT Suspension: Double wishbone with coil springs and stabiliser (front)/ four-link with coil springs and lateral rod (rear) Steering system: Speed sensing power assisted rack and pinion steering Brakes: Ventilated discs (front)/ drums (rear) Tyres: 205/65 R15 Length: 4,555mm Width: 1,770mm Height: 1,755mm Ground clearance: 200mm Kerb weight: 1,545kg |
