Indian Autos blog

The Toyota Innova shows no signs of slowing down, aging or fatigue. Despite more affordable options and slightly upmarket products there for the taking, there seems to be no better alternative to the Innova for the Indian MPV buyer.

But in 2012, that might change with the entry of the Nissan NV200 in India. We spotted the NV200 testing in Chennai a couple of months back with no camouflage. The vehicle’s rear resembles the Maruti Eeco and has enough cabin space to hold a football tournament.

The NV200 will be brought out under the Ashok Leyland-Nissan alliance. While Nissan will sell upmarket mini trucks and vans in India, Ashok Leyland will focus on lower segments.

General Motors is bracing for the launch of Chinese LCVs in India, while Ford and Changan are toying with a similar idea. Autocar India reported Mahindra is working on a stylish MPV as well and seeing all this I’m sure Force Motors, Tata Motors, Skoda and Volkswagen won’t stay silent for long. The MPV segment is going to be crowded with all these players, and that could mean bad news for Toyota and its Innova.

Don’t you just envy the guy who sits in the 1st class seat of the Boeing or who switches on the massages function on the rear seats of the 7 series? Well, now you could go ahead and pamper yourself in a similar manner for a fraction of that cost.

MKraft, a Mumbai based company is offering some uber luxurious customizations on the Toyota Innova.

The company’s focus is on luxury & more importantly space. Their concept of ‘STRETCHBACK’ is rather interesting. Of course in the literal meaning they want to suggest the idea of relaxing & enjoying the drive but more importantly the play of colors, textures & lighting in side the car cabin just make it feel so much more spacious.

The car’s cabin is no less luxurious than a private jet. It features a LCD television hooked onto the partition between the driver and the rear passenger . The car also has a dish fitted on the roof so that you can enjoy TV on the move. You get a kusic system that is connected to the TV. A DVD player to watch movies, & guess what you can even hook up your XBOX or Play Station to the TV & convert the cabin into a gaming zone.

The car also features a refrigerator, cabinets to keep your items, roof mounted reading lights & side throwing ambient lights for the readers. It comes with two fully automatic supremely comfortable seats separated by a centre armrest which houses all the controls for the gizmos on board.

Even the exterior gets a body kit making the car more sporty. The driver gets his own music system & reverse cameras.

So whether it be your home theater system, or your reading lounge, or a place to watch the news, play games or just sit back & daydream, this is it.

At a price of 4.5 lakhs and a donor car, you can spoil yourself with all the luxuries you ever wanted.

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What you see in the picture above is the creativity of Toyota‘s Tokyo Design Studio folks. This is an illustration of how radical utility vehicles and minivans could look in the future.

The artists got their inspiration from Japan’s Bullet train and Tokyo’s futuristic river boat. The car with its flowing contours look too good to be built into a car.

The designers seem to have taken Toyota’s ‘Going Green’ approach a bit too seriously as they have ‘planted’ a tree in the middle of the extended center console. Is that bonsai or will it grow through the roof? The sun roof finally found a purpose for the Indian customer!

The car has been given transparent door panels, and a panoramic roof that gives a scenic view of the surroundings.
The car also has a little seat which can revolve 360°, this is for curious kids.

Though this wouldn’t be the related to the 2nd generation Toyota Innova, these styles and design cues could be carried over to the third generation Innova?

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Toyota Kirloskar Motor has introduced a special edition Toyota Innova that stays in showrooms for just four months starting yesterday. The special edition marks the fifth anniversary of the successful MPV, whose sales is undeterred by the competition.

The special edition has power windows, power locks, air-conditioning, new bumpers, front grille, hood mould and rear door garnish in the body color of the vehicle. The car is available only in one color – Premium super white at a price tag of 886,960 ex-showroom Delhi.

Sandeep Singh, deputy managing director, Toyota Kirloskar Motors -

The Innova has been highly appreciated by our customers, and has been the market leader in the MPV segment ever since its launch in 2005. We are focused on constantly upgrading our products based on customer feedback, and are now delighted to introduce the all new edition of the Innova which offers unique styling in combination with affordable features. Only 700 units of the Innova Special Edition will be available for sale, for a limited period.

With 31% market share in the MPV segment and consecutive No.1 positions since the launch in the JD Power ratings, the Innova’s age is not hampering its sales. It has even prompted Toyota to think of a smaller MPV which is to be less expensive.

Look at the images and right away a doubt emerges – Why aren’t there alloy wheels or even hub caps on the special edition?

We really didn’t bother talking much about the refreshed Innova on Indian Autos Blog as we felt it was unnecessary to give front row importance to a car with new bumpers and wheels. The Innova is the most comfortable car in India, we agree, but the new Innova is the least exciting we must say.

The refreshed Toyota Innova gets a new grille, bumpers, wheels and slightly different interiors. The car is already on sale in markets such as Indonesia and the engine and gearbox remain same. Dual A.C vents debut on this model and so does the suspension (shock absorbers have changed), for the improvement of ride quality.

Only after the launch later tomorrow, will we know of any India-specific changes. The seat fabric is likely to be changed, and probably more colors will be offered.

Minutes ago, Global Motors posted spy pictures of the 2009 Tata Indicruz testing in cold weather in Sweden. It is partly camouflaged, and a head on photograph brings out the design elements of the car

The raised hood line is in conjunction with European Pedestrian safety standards. The grille is attached to the hood (similar to the Mercedes E-Class) and the whole front end has a lot in common with the Indica Vista like the fog lamps, headlights and the form of the hood and the rear-view mirrors. If you look closely at the 3rd images, a crease bisecting the hood is evident, just like in the Indica Vista.

The wheels seems to have come off the Tata Safari and the wheel-wells are an eye sore- A typical Tata vehicle trait. The size of this car should be close to the Toyota Innova’s and the price should be a couple of lakhs lesser than it. On the whole, people will assess it’s looks better than the XYLO.

The much anticipated Utility Vehicle from Mahindra, the XYLO now has its own microsite- http://mahindraxylo.co.in/

The website talks about the work that has gone into making the XYLO. 160 Engineers in total were involved in developing this MPV which they are going to market as a “Streched sedan” indicating it’s sedan roots.

The XYLO will fight for the top spot against the Toyota Innova, Chevrolet Tavera and the upcoming Tata Indicruz.