Toyota Innova Crysta Out, Innova Hycross In, For Kerala High Court Judges: Here's Why
The Kerala High Court (HC) is soon getting a new fleet of vehicles for judges and Chief Justice. The state cabinet has approved the purchase of 32 brand-new Toyota Innova Hycross MPVs. These will replace the Toyota Innova Crystas that are currently in service. 9 Crore rupees has been allotted towards the new procurement.
32 Hycross MPVs for Kerala HC: More Details
Let's look at the current fleet. 31 of the 32 Crystas that are in service now were bought in 2018. The remaining one was bought the next year. These will be replaced with new Hyrcrosses. This is part of regular administrative upgrades. The move intends to improve the logistical support of the judiciary.
The new vehicles will be used by the Chief Justice and High Court judges. The Innova Crystas are either five years old or have completed 80,000 kilometres. The High Court registrar recently requested a replacement for the fleet, citing the same as reasons.
Initially, Kerala's Finance Department rejected this saying that the state was undergoing a financial crunch. It further claimed that many of the vehicles used by ministers have already completed 3.75 lakh kilometres and are still running smoothly.
The Registrar then brought to the Department's notice, a ruling by the Punjab High Court. In the case 'ML Puri vs Punjab and Haryana High Court', the ruling said that the vehicles used by HC judges, which are five years old or have completed 80,000 kilometres, need to be replaced with fresh ones. This made the Finance Department heed and allot the funds for the procurement.
More About The Toyota Hycross
Toyota launched the Hycross in India in 2022. Back then, prices started at Rs 18.30 lakh (ex-showroom). Today, the top-spec variant is priced at Rs 32.58 lakh. It’s not clear which variant would be inducted to the High Court's fleet. What is clear, though, is that the Hycross is priced much higher than the Innova Crysta. The top-end diesel Crysta, for example, is priced at Rs 26.82 lakh — making the Hycross noticeably more expensive.
Compared to the Crysta, the Hycross looks more like an SUV. It is offered in six exterior color options. The ground clearance is the same as the Crysta, but the Hycross is longer and wider. It also sits on a longer wheelbase, making it more spacious inside.
Step inside, and you’ll see a big change from the Crysta. The dashboard features a modern multi-layered design and has a large 10.1-inch floating touchscreen. There are rectangular AC vents, a dashboard-mounted gear lever, and ambient lighting as well.
Higher variants add more features like paddle shifters, a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, a powered tailgate, and even a memory function for the driver’s seat.
The Hycross is available in two seating configurations: a seven-seater and an eight-seater. The seven-seater comes with captain chairs in the middle row, equipped with segment-first Ottomans for extra comfort. The eight-seater version features a bench seat in the middle row.
Toyota has built the Hycross on its TNGA-C monocoque platform. Buyers can choose between two powertrains — a strong hybrid or a standard petrol engine. The strong-hybrid (available on the VX, ZX, and ZX(O)) use a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine running the Atkinson/Miller cycle. The total power output is 184hp, and it’s paired with an e-drive transmission.
The regular petrol version comes with a 2.0-litre engine making 172hp and 205Nm of torque. It is equipped with a CVT automatic and front-wheel drive. No manual gearbox is offered.
The strong-hybrid Hycross returns an impressive 23.24kpl, while the petrol version is rated at 16.13kpl. This makes the Hycross hybrid one of the most fuel-efficient MPVs in its class.