Complete Guide to Buying a Toyota Innova Crysta

Usually, Toyota isn’t the kind that looks or walks back – the Qualis was replaced by the Innova, the Innova by the Innova Crysta, and the Innova Crysta by the Innova Hycross. Except, the Innova Crysta continues to sell alongside the Innova Hycross. While conventional wisdom says this is because of the restricted production of the Hycross due to semiconductor shortages, the Crysta is likely to soldier on even after those shortages ease. After all, this is an immensely popular car that sold over 4 lakh units from 2016 to 2022. If you’re looking to bring home this legendary combination of reliable underpinnings, a powerful and efficient engine, and a spacious cabin, here’s a 2023 Toyota Innova Crysta buying guide.

Toyota Innova Crysta Specifications

Why you should consider the Toyota Innova Crysta

The Toyota Innova Crysta was, some would say still is, the undisputed king of MPVs in India. Here are three reasons why the Crysta enjoys that status in India, even seven years after launch.

Comfortable, Practical Cabin

The Innova Crysta isn’t drastically bigger than its rivals. Yet, it offers one of the most comfortable cabins among MPVs. Tales abound of how even long hours inside the Crysta results in minimum to no fatigue. Credit here goes to the MPV’s fantastic ride quality as the ladder frame chassis and mature suspension flatten road irregularities like a battle tank would do to cars. 

But even setting the ride quality aside, the Crysta’s cabin is quite spacious and well-appointed. For instance, the third row can accommodate three adults with reasonable comfort, made possible by the Crysta’s segment-topping length and height. Furthermore, the MPV’s large glass area lets in plenty of light, ensuring there’s no claustrophobia even with eight passengers onboard. 

In terms of practicality, the Crysta’s cabin fares very well with numerous cubby storage spaces, AC vents for each row that work really well, cup/bottle holders even for third-row passengers, and fully foldable second- and third-row seats to liberate over 900 litres of boot space.

Bulletproof, Reliable Engine

Every aspect of the Toyota Innova Crysta feels like it’s built to last. But its engine is the epitome of this feeling as it’s known to clock several lakh kilometres without needing as much as a basic overhaul. That’s another reason, apart from its comfort, why the Crysta is so sought-after among fleet operators. While it no longer gets a petrol engine, the 2.4-litre diesel is more than up for any task you throw at it thanks to its 150 PS and 343 Nm output. 

Paired with a 5-speed manual, this engine is refined, highly tractable, and has enough reserves of power at higher RPMs to help you make that quick overtake, even with a full load of passengers and luggage. Even from a standstill, the Crysta is quick for a nearly two-tonne MPV with a 0-100 kmph time of around 12 seconds. That it returns a fuel efficiency of 15.6 kmpl while packing such performance is the cherry on the cake. 

Peace of Mind Ownership

The Toyota Innova Crysta is the four-wheeled equivalent of Hero Honda’s famous ‘Fill it, shut it, forget it’ tagline. You buy the Crysta and simply forget it exists as it will rarely demand your attention for something gone wrong. The reliability part mentioned previously plays a big part here as every component of the Crysta, even if not state-of-the-art in terms of being premium, is definitely state-of-the-art in terms of quality and longevity. Combine that with the quality and wide reach of Toyota’s after-sales service network and you realise the Innova’s reputation as India’s most reliable car is not merely an urban legend. 

Why you should not consider the Toyota Innova Crysta

The Toyota Innova Crysta is so good at what it does that it’s easy to overlook where it falters. Here are two things about the Innova Crysta 2023 that might bother some potential buyers. 

No Automatic Transmission

Being a midsize MPV, the Innova Crysta is a large car that also weighs a bit. And while its diesel engine is torquey enough to cruise at 100 kmph under 2,000 rpm, this bulk makes a good case for an automatic transmission option. While this was available with the older Crysta, Toyota has strangely discontinued it with the newer one. Although most Innova Crysta owners typically drive on highways, an automatic transmission unit would’ve added to the overall convenience. 

Lacks Modern Features

The most radical improvement in cars compared to those from 7-8 years ago is in terms of features. What was a luxury or novelty then, has become quite mainstream now, especially in the over Rs 20 lakh segment. This is why the absence of some of these modern features from the Innova Crysta might rankle potential buyers. For instance, the Crysta’s infotainment unit is restricted to just 8 inches while there’s no ADAS, wireless charging, soft-touch plastics, rear disc brakes, parking camera, TPMS, ventilated seats, and sunroof, even as optional extras.

Toyota Innova Crysta Variants

The 2023 Toyota Innova Crysta is available in seven variants, all with the same diesel powertrain. There are a total of four trims, G, GX, VX, and ZX. Each of those trims gets an 8-seater option, except the top-end ZX trim. The latter is also available only for individual buyers while the other trims are available for both fleet and individual buyers. 

Best Toyota Innova Crysta Variant to Buy

The VX is the best Innova Crysta variant to buy. Compared to the lower GX variant, the Crysta VX gets you additional features such as auto headlamps, climate control, driver seat height adjustment, keyless entry and go, cruise control, USB fast charging, front parking sensors, and ISOFIX child-seat mounts. All these features make a notable difference to driver and passenger comfort, justifying the large premium between the GX and the VX variants.

The Crysta VX’s feature list is very similar to the top-end ZX variant’s, save for the latter’s powered driver’s seat, rear seat picnic tables, curtain and side airbags, and certain other cosmetic enhancements. To most buyers, that’s unlikely to make enough difference to justify the ZX’s Rs 1.64 lakh premium over the VX. Moreover, unlike the ZX, the VX also comes with an 8-seater option.

Toyota Innova Crysta Warranty & Service Cost

The Toyota Innova Crysta comes with a standard 3 years/1,00,000 km warranty. Toyota also offers an extended warranty of up to 5 years/2,20,000 km.

The Crysta is well-known for being affordable to maintain. Typically, your Toyota Innova Crysta service cost will average around Rs 7,000 to 9,000 per scheduled service for every 10,000 km/1 year. Note that the service interval is 5,000 km/6 months for the first three services. 

Toyota Innova Crysta Buying Guide Summary

Despite the shortcomings related to features, the Toyota Innova Crysta still stands unrivalled among MPVs as far as reliability, comfort, practicality, space, and even resale value (just ask any Innova owner, past or present) are concerned. If you want a car that can move seven or eight people in total comfort without ever throwing a tantrum, get the Crysta eyes closed. And with this Toyota Innova Crysta buying guide, we hope that decision has been made easier still.