Ratings: 2021 Toyota Innova 2.0X – Excellent comfort, but not fuel-efficient

2021 Toyota Innova 2.8V: Driving Performance – 28/50, lacks torque

This is reflected in the 0-100 km/h sprint time as well. It’s 18.4 seconds to compete the century sprint, which is the slowest car we’ve tested yet.

Even with only one driver onboard, the lack of torque is apparent when going uphill and it struggles to maintain momentum. With a full load, the Toyota Innova will almost certainly struggle to pull its weight.

Steering is well-weighted and its ratio is on the slower side, this means it’s not sharp to steer but it’s calm at higher speeds.

2021 Toyota Innova 2.8V: Ride comfort – 39/50, well-insulated with well-judged suspension

Below the national speed limit, it’s almost EV-like levels of cabin noise. Only when it approaches triple-digit speeds, wind noise starts to intrude the cabin while tyre and engine noise remain well suppressed.

Suspension is perfectly tuned to tackle our imperfect road surfaces. It soaks up the worst of our roads with impressive composure. The ladder frame judder is present, but well managed and shouldn’t be a bother to most buyers.

The leather seats (unique only to the 2.8V, other variants get fabric) are well-contoured, provide more than enough back and thigh support and to cap it all off, the leather used is rather supple and breatheable.

2021 Toyota Innova 2.8V: Quality and Features – 31/50, par for the course

The Toyota Innova faired commendably in paint thickness consistency whilst panel gap consistency is average.

The sweeping interior design is a massive step up from the previous generation. Quality wise, it’s as expected from a Toyota at this price range – sturdy but nothing too fancy. No soft plastics to be found, just good quality hard plastics.

The 9-inch infotainment system supports Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. It is the same unit found in the Toyota Corolla Altis.

Basic passive safety features are all accounted for but there’s no ADAS so to speak, only Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

2021 Toyota Innova 2.8V: Space and Practicality – 34/50, spacious second-row

With the second row pushed all the way back, legroom and headroom are generous. A 175 cm tall adult has 3 tennis balls of legroom and 1 tennis ball of headroom.

Third row head- and legroom are pretty generous as well; with the second row adjusted to normal seating position, there is 1 tennis ball worth of head- and legroom.

The 2021 Toyota Innova 2.8V has plenty of large cubby spaces and no less than 13 cupholders, including two on each tray fixated behind the front seats. 

Boot space is rated at 300 litres with the third-row seats up but can be expanded by stowing away the second- and third-row seats.

2021 Toyota Innova 2.8V: Fuel consumption – 11/20, lack of torque leads to overcompensation

After travelling 100 km in 50% urban and 50% highway conditions, the Innova used up 11.02 litres of fuel. This gives the 2021 Toyota Innova 2.8V a fuel consumption figure of 11-litre/100km.

Bear in mind that the test was conducted with only the driver on board. With more passengers, expect a higher fuel consumption figure.

2021 Toyota Innova 2.8V: Purchase and Cost – 22/30, decent value

The 2021 Toyota Innova 2.8V is priced at ₱ 1,754,000 (OTR without insurance and SST). 

Warranty given is 5 years/unlimited mileage which is par for the course. 

2021 Toyota Innova 2.8V: Conclusion – 165/250 pts overall

2021 Toyota Innova 2.8V scored the most points in ride comfort, followed by interior space and practicality. It’s also decently equipped in terms of interior and safety features.

However, the weakest aspect has to be performance as it lacks the torque to navigate its mass. This also penalizes fuel consumption as a result.

If you find the modest performance and its impact to fuel consumption acceptable, then there is not much to dissuade you from the Toyota Innova.