Innova HyCross Hybrid Super Quiet in EV Mode: Toyota Adds Some Noise
One of the concerns that many people had with EVs was that they were extremely silent. Many pointed this out as a negative, as it could lead to accidents on the road. Slowly, manufacturers started adding sounds to these cars, which could be heard by other road users when the car was in motion. This would warn them about the car in advance. Strong hybrid vehicles also behave like an EV at slow speeds, and Toyota has introduced the AVAS feature to the HyCross Hybrid to make it noisier.
AVAS
AVAS stands for Acoustic Vehicle Alert System. This system alerts pedestrians and ensures that people are aware of the vehicle’s presence in advance. It consists of a small speaker placed under the bonnet of the car, which produces this sound.
Toyota is not the first manufacturer to offer this feature. It has been present in several EVs and hybrids around the world. The Innova HyCross Strong Hybrid variant, at lower speeds, acts as an EV, as it only uses the electric motor and power from the small battery to move. It is only after reaching a certain speed limit that the engine kicks in. When the Innova HyCross is driven in EV mode, the AVAS works automatically and alerts road users. Toyota is offering this feature with the VX, VX(O), ZX, and ZX(O) variants of the strong hybrid version.
Other than this, no additional features have been added to the MPV. The Toyota Innova HyCross is the latest generation of Toyota’s popular MPV. Unlike the Innova Crysta, which is based on a body-on-frame chassis, the Innova HyCross is built on a monocoque chassis.
It is an extremely comfortable MPV with several premium features. Toyota is offering high-end features such as a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control, ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, a wireless phone charger, six airbags, a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), a 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, and Level 2 ADAS with features like Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Automatic Emergency Braking.
The Toyota Innova HyCross is available with petrol engine options only. There is a regular petrol engine and a strong hybrid version on offer. The regular petrol version of the Innova HyCross uses a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated engine that generates 175 PS and 205 Nm of peak torque. This version comes with a CVT gearbox.
The strong hybrid version of the Innova HyCross uses a 2.0-liter petrol engine, producing a combined 186 PS and 188 Nm of peak torque. This MPV is paired with an e-CVT gearbox. None of the variants come with a manual transmission.
Prices for the Toyota Innova HyCross start at Rs 19.94 lakh (ex-showroom) and go up to Rs 31.34 lakh (ex-showroom).
Before the launch of the Innova HyCross, Toyota had discontinued the Innova Crysta from the market. However, when the Japanese manufacturer realized that there was still demand for a diesel engine, they relaunched it in the market in limited variants with only a manual transmission.