From the Outside
It’s always been a case of function over form where the Innova and Xlyo are concerned – but it’s interesting to see the changes…

The Innova has retained its family look but looks sleeker and more car like…The front fascia has undergone a complete makeover with the new headlamps design, now angular, trapezoidal and no longer curvy, tear drop like The front grille now gets three horizontal slats instead of the two before. All of this gives the front a lower stance than before. At the rear the only change is the tail lamp design with the indicator lamps now being housed in the middle of the cluster unlike at the bottom in the earlier version.

 The refresh on the Xylo , though just cosmetic, looks much more extreme but in a positive way. The scorpio grille has been incorporated with clear lens headlamps. The front bumper has also been reworked. On the whole the new Xylo now looks more polished, and needless to say, much more appealing than the earlier version.

On the Inside
The Innova in its refresh hasn't changed too much. But the centre console now gets brushed aluminium surrounds instead of the mock wood before and that makes it look more premium. The Corolla steering wheel now finds its way into the Innova with steering-mounted audio and mobile phone controls available in the higher variants. The fonts in the clocks have also been changed. The dual tone beige finish on the dashboard and the seats are still the same.

The Xylo interiors feel plush when you see it first. The brown Italian leather upholstery gives it a premium feel. The wood finish surrounds on the centre console and the doors add to this effect. The centre console now also has a display for the trip computer. The hard to use gear lever has now been replaced with a more easy to hold rounded design.

Comfort wise it’s the Xylo all the way…though ingress egress is better in the Toyota.

 As far as equipment goes, things are more or less even. Both get steering mounted controls, electric ORVMs, central armrest and air vents for almost every passenger and decent storage all round. There are differences, nonetheless. The Toyota has sliding second row seats which add to flexibility in seating. It also gets Bluetooth telephony and a reversing camera and a single zone digital climate control system. The Xylo might lack these features, but then it makes up for it with a driver information system and cruise control which are missing on the Toyota.

Under the Hood
This is where the battle gets interesting. Toyota hasn't upgraded the engine in its refresh. It's still the same 2.5-litre diesel mill that rests under the Innova's hood. It produces a maximum power of 102PS at 3600rpm and a maximum torque of 200Nm which is available from 1400-3400rpm.

The Xylo on the other hand now sports a mHawk engine borrowed from the Scorpio in its E9 variant. This engine produces 120PS of power at 4000rpm and 280Nm of torque between 2400-2800rpm. This simply translates into the E9 having a more powerful and torquier engine.

The Mahindra goes from 0-100kmph in 13.75 seconds while the Toyota takes 17.69 seconds.

On the Road
Between the Xylo and the Innova, the latter has a better drive. And all of it is down to the Toyota's better dynamics. Drive the two back to back and the Innova's prowess instantly comes to the fore. The driving position is more comfortable, the steering feel is better and it is more instant in its reactions. The floor pedals are more ergonomically placed too and the visibility again, is clearer on the Toyota.

It's also more stable be it over an undulating road at high speeds or on a twisty hill road. It is sharper, surer and more predictable. Even getting hard on the brakes is less stressful.

Fuel economy continues to be the Xylo’s strength. It returned a healthy 13.5 kmpl overall to the Innova’s 12.2 kmpl.
In Conclusion
The Innova is pricey. By a good 3 lakhs. That does change the equation for many who may be looking at buying their car on EMIs. The Xylo is better loaded, has the better motor and is better value, but it still has some way to go till it can beat the Innova in the engineering department.

But if you have the dough, there’s no denying that the Innova is a better buy. Well designed, well thought out, it has better dynamics, quality, and ergonomics and of course an equipment list that's almost as good as the Xylo's.

So you decide!!!