Review: Toyota Innova

Mike Solowiow
by Mike Solowiow

What the heck’s an Innova? While the Toyota website and Wikipedia give no hint to what the word actually means, I suspect it was supposed to evoke the feeling of being innovative, exciting, something new and vogue. Well, so was the Oldsmobile Achieva. And just like the Achieva, no amount of marketing and media shots of active couples rampaging around the country side will convince me the Toyota Innova is anything more than a marketing focus group’s bastard child. Then I found out that the platform and mechanical bits are donated from Toyota’s legendary Hilux pickup truck. Now we might be on to something.

This first thing I had to come to grips with about my shiny new white Toyota Innova G was it really wasn’t a Toyota at all. Instead, the mini mini-van comes from Malaysia where Astra Motors stamps them out next to basic Hiluxes under license from the ToMoCo. The Fauxyota screams knock-off like a Couch purse, or a Folex watch. It looks like the real thing at a distance with the shiny Toyota emblem glinting in the equatorial sun; however, when you get up close, third-world horrors abound in a way I haven’t seen since the last National Geographic special on Rwanda.

See those cool swage lines arching over the fender as if directly inspired by the Fiat Coupe Turbo? Look closer, and see that they aren’t quite straight, and there a few paint runs where the undercoating was most likely sprayed by someone making a buck a day. The rest of the body seems well screwed together, despite the large panel gaps reminiscent of the 1970’s, and the styling, while conservative looks quite attractive with the Euro small bumpers and flowing lines that run from hood to hatch. Without having to worry about American or European crash testing, designers (if there actually were any on the Innova) had a free hand and used it to make … a minivan.

The interior, in desert beige looks remarkably like every other Toyota, with parts stolen from the Yaris, Corolla, and even the Hilux. The colors were pleasing, the textures interesting, and the controls easy to use and simple. Still, the dodgy origins shine through in the fit and finish. Just like native trinkets, each Innova in my military fleet proved slightly different. My dashboard showed scratches where it was literally filed down in places to make it fit snug against the airbag. Another Innova showed melted patches on the door where it looks like it was burnt with a cigarette lighter to ensure it would fit smoothly against the armrest. I would find these oddities charming in a rug from Afghanistan, but not in a vehicle that might meet the wrong end of a speeding BMW on a Middle Eastern highway. At least there are no rattles to be found — yet.

Scary build quality aside, the real interesting facets about the Innova derive from what you can’t see, the oily bits underneath the ho-hum exterior. When Toyota decided to design an MPV specifically for more rugged trails, they turned directly to one of the most robust and successful platforms they had, the Hilux pickup. So rather than a unibody minivan, the Innova gets a ladder frame, with the body bolted to it. This creates a nearly indestructible platform should you want to make the school run through the Korean DMZ. The 2.7L VVT-I 160bhp four-cylinder, which will last longer than the next North Korean dear leader, also carries over from the Hilux.

Parents usually don’t like to see their children catapulted from the rear most seats into the ceiling, so the Innova design team stripped off the leaf-springs from the Hilux, and replaced them with a much more advanced spring and strut assembly. This smoothes out the ride considerably, given that the chassis was originally engineered for the most brutal conditions. While there are still snaps and kicks, the Innova remains relatively calm while traversing broken pavement and cobblestones.

The best and worst part about being a cousin to the indestructible truck: rear-wheel drive and a very stupid automatic. You approach every turn with a certain amount of fear, and excitement, for you do not know what the automatic transmission from the 4th level of hell will do (upshift? downshift? bog down? I have no idea!). This only adds to the drama. You sling the incredibly vague steering wheel and hope that you placed the heavily rolling beast on the correct line, for you have no hope of correcting your turn in mid-arc. Then you smash the gas and feel the van go sideways as the rear steps out smoothly and controllably. Lift off, and the Innova straightens out, as if nothing were amiss.

I should praise the Innova as its RWD Hilux derived setup means it will probably last forever while giving a few thrills, yet I can’t. Despite all the things going for it, the Innova still feels like a real Toyota in the sense it is terminally boring in nearly every situation, and yet it feels unlike a Toyota with its noticeably second rate construction. If you live in more topographically demanding regions of the world and need a family hauler, get the similar Toyota Fortuner, or better yet, a real Land Cruiser.

Mike Solowiow
Mike Solowiow

More by Mike Solowiow

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 11 comments
  • Landcrusher Landcrusher on Nov 28, 2008

    Is it one of those cars no one wants, but everyone needs? Aside from the build quality I mean. I seem to be on a branding kick today. Toyota stands for quality. They should be careful.

  • Sajeev Mehta Sajeev Mehta on Nov 28, 2008

    Stingray: probably true, but the actually spent the time to upgrade the HiLux with those springs? This would be a good vehicle for my homeland too. From what I saw in India, these third-world Toyotas (for lack of a better phrase, no disrespect intended) have far inferior build quality and material selction to the ones found in other parts of Asia, Europe, USA. Maybe that's okay, because with Toyota's perfect supply chain, they can easily sell the better ones anywhere in the world...whenever the market demands it. The Tundra's recent introduction to the Middle East (blogged about here) is proof positive.

  • El scotto Oh, ye nattering nabobs of negativism! Think of countries like restaurants. Our neighbors to the north and south are almost as good and the service is fantastic. They're awfully close to being as good as the US. Oh the Europeans are interesting and quaint but you really only go there a few times a year. Gents, the US is simply the hottest restaurant in town. Have to stand in line to get in? Of course. Can you hand out bribes to get in quicker? Of course. Suppliers and employees? Only the best on a constant basis.Did I mention there is a dress code? We strictly enforce it. Don't like it? Suck it.
  • 1995 SC At least you can still get one. There isn't much for Ford folks to be happy about nowadays, but the existence of the Mustang and the fact that the lessons from back in the 90s when Ford tried to kill it and replace it with the then flavor of the day seem to have been learned (the only lessons they seem to remember) are a win not only for Ford folks but for car people in general. One day my Super Coupe will pop its headgaskets (I know it will...I read it on the Internet). I hope I will still be physically up to dropping the supercharged Terminator Cobra motor into it. in all seriousness, The Mustang is a.win for car guys.
  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
Next