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The Innova may not look like a body-on-frame vehicle, but underneath it is a ladder-frame chassis shared with the Hilux pickup and Fortuner SUV. Sharing chassis is nothing new, of course. What is remarkable is Toyota was able to customize the Innova for its intended use to an unusual degree; for example, replacing the leaf springs of the Hilux with coils for a more compliant ride. Sharing the frame of the Hilux has other benefits, too: resistance to damage from road ruts and potholes, tall eye height, and even the ability to safely traverse 500-mm of water at 5 km/h. Build quality on our 20,000-km test unit was rock-solid. The Innova is by no means a sports sedan or luxury cruiser, and it has no pretensions of being either. It is a winningly refined and relatively affordable way of transporting eight in comfort. The handling is secure and obedient, with none of the vagueness and hesitation plaguing utility vehicles. The ride is firm but removes all the jolts and unpleasant movements that our roads can dish out. Brakes are strong and easy to modulate. The only sore spot in the Innova package is the lack of ABS, even as an option. For a vehicle clearly meant to safely ferry families, it’s quite a glaring omission. If money is no object, our family-vehicle vote goes to the Previa. But for the real world of down payments, monthly installments, and fuel prices, no minivan can touch the Innova for the money. The top-line G retails for PHP1,030,000, and there’s a base diesel available for PHP778,000. The Innova has put an end to the practice of tacking on shinier and shinier bits while retaining the same creaky old chassis and running gear. With one stroke, Toyota has moved the game to a different level. No wonder they couldn’t have called it the new Revo. The AUV is dead. Long live its successor. |
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