Showing the way forward in though and execution as also a new way of motoring life is Toyota with the classy and powerful Innova, heralding a whole new category. UVs will not be the same again, says Adil Jal Darukhanawala who drove both petrol – and diesel-engined models.

It may all have to do with a grand strategy which began with a two decade old design which nonetheless enthralled hordes of Indians who used it. If 1,42,556 Indians bought the Qualis over a five-year span beginning January 2000 to December 2004, an unheard of thing also developed along with their usage: these 1.4 lakh buyers and their extended families had tasted sheer class and comfort from a basic design which was overwhelmingly superior to whatever the home-grown makers had to offer.

Using this as the foundation, Toyota has now built upon this in its latest offering which seeks to take the game away from what one normally terms the UV segment. However this is a luxury UV unlike any seen in the country and heralds the advent of the large-sized MPV in India. Jargon and terminology aside, the new Toyota Innova is a vehicle which is so simple in its layout yet so painstakingly crafted and put together that it is light years ahead of even some premium C- and D-segment cars!

The look is all new and refreshingly curvy and pleasing where the boxy Qualis looked like a weightlifter on skinny legs. The Toyota corporate look is evident in the front end, noticeably in the grille area and those swoopy headlamps plus the large wraparound bumper. The character creases and subtle bulges around the wheel arches are nice design highlights which with the rakish A-pillar add to a feeling of contemporary style. Acres of glazing is another detail and if one cares to look there don't seem to be sliding windows anywhere. The tailgate is also stylised to a degree with a recessed number plate section, a stepped bumper and large triangular tail lamps being evident. There is no carry over of anything remotely owning its ancestry to the Qualis (apart from its inherently strong Toyota hallmarks) and that is refreshing in its appeal for the category in which Toyota wants the Innova to play in.

Toyota could have built an all-monocoque body structure but they chose to adopt the body-on-frame layout with well thought out suspension aggregates at both ends for this front engined, rear wheel drive vehicle. A double wishbone layout with stabiliser bar makes up the front suspension while at the rear a four-link set up with coil springs does duty. The adoption of the body-on-frame does indicate customer preference to load the vehicle with occupants while at the same time the four-link layout affords comfort and handling for the typical car user. Steering gear is power assisted rack and pinion type and the Innova comes with front discs and rear drum brakes with ABS as standard on the top spec V-models. The Innova rides on 15-inch wheels (large five-spoke alloys on the top spec version) shod with 205/65R15 Bridgestone B390 tubeless tyres and in this aspect also the company has done just right to specify the correct tyre without the vehicle feeling under- or over-tyred.

The Innova will come with a choice of petrol and diesel engines from day one, Toyota obviously not wanting to position petrol engines just as a top end offering as it did with its Qualis. The company's moves in this regard stem from the fact that it wants to cater to as large a spread of car and UV owners as possible and for that reason there will be petrol-engined Innovas available in all three E, G and V spec versions just like the diesel. Beginning with the typical car buyer with petrol as his preferred choice of propellant, Toyota has its 1TR-FE 1998cc four-cylinder engine on offer. With a dohc layout and 16 valves plus with the famed VVT-i valve gear and EFI, this engine is not only creamy in its power delivery but also strong and hot where it matters. The Innova so powered delivers 136PS (at 5600rpm) with a healthy 182Nm of peak torque flowing at 4000rpm. These power and torque figures mean that in the affordable UV/MPV segment in the country, this has to be the most powerful vehicle of its kind. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard fitment though in markets like Thailand and Malaysia, Toyota offers an automatic transmission as an option. Surely should the petrol-engined Innova do well and customer preferences demand, I am sure this slush 'box would also appear.

However large vehicles of its kind are prime diesel delights and here Toyota has probably the best diesel engine in its class on offer, period. Toyota's famous D4D common rail diesel engine is a proven performer, having excelled not only in various pick-ups and SUVs in Asia but also in certain saloons in Europe. This engine has capacity - 2494cc - to begin with, has a strong dohc 16-valve top end force fed by a turbocharger and the latest generation common rail diesel injection system to make for not just a punchy and frugal prime mover but also a very refined powerplant which effortlessly meets the latest Euro III emission norms. Also when taken with the immediate diesel-engined competition in view, the oil burning version of the Innova towers over them all, having 102PS on tap (made at 3600rpm) while besting them all with a strong dose of 200Nm of peak torque spread across the 1400 - 3400 rpm range. Again a 5-speed manual 'box is the only transmission specified.

The most appealing aspect of the Innova after its build, turnout and mechanical hardware has to be the room in the cabin, the flexible nature of the seating system, the practicality aspect of the vehicle and of course the high comfort and luxury levels one can specify on a vehicle of its kind. Large opening doors with well crafted out entry and exit parameters are evident as are the thoughtful touches to the seat backs on the two rear rows, both of which could be made to recline. Also the middle row of seats can also slide fore and aft if the need should arise. If that is not all, the style evident on the exterior is backed up with some of the most pleasing interior treatment, notably in the dashboard and the control layout area. Generous cubby holes abound while the air con system has been devised with blowers directed at occupants on all three rows. A duo-tone trim treatment is adopted and the trim and cloth upholstery is top notch. Air bags for driver and passenger are OE in the top spec V-models while an immobiliser is OE on all three spec versions.

We will have the complete gen on the Innova in our next issue where each and every spec version will be outlined and commented on. The company plans to make a total of 54,000 units of the vehicle in 2005-06 and while the pricing has yet not been revealed, it is thought to be in the band of Rs 6.0 to Rs 8.0 lakh (ex-showroom). The competition, and by that I also mean the likes of the Chevrolet Optra and Skoda Octavia have been warned; the Innova means business, in the nicest possible way of course.