Toyota Innova: Top alternatives

The Toyota Innova doesn't need any introduction, or does it? Not only Malaysia but the Japanese automaker's MPV is one of the best-selling MPVs in many other countries as well, especially the Philippines and India. ln Malaysia, Toyota cars offers the MPV in three different variants, and the Toyota Innova price ranges from RM 115,280 to RM 132,400.

Variant	Price
Toyota Innova 2.0E AT	RM 115,280
Toyota Innova 2.0G AT	RM 123,400
Toyota Innova 2.0X AT	RM 132,400

Up for grabs in as many as six different colors, namely Medium Silver Metallic, Silver Metallic, Attitude Black, Super White, Avant-Garde Bronze Metallic, and Crimson Spark Red Metallic, the Toyota Innova gets a rather attractive silhouette courtesy of LED projector headlamps with LED DRLs, lower body skirting, huge inverted-like grille with chrome slats, strong shoulder line, chrome door handles, sabre-tooth shaped taillamps, roof spoiler, and a set of stylish alloy wheels. The interior, on the other hand, vaunts ample space, superior comfort, and an array of features like a multifunction T-shaped steering wheel, cascading dashboard, large 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, automatic climate control, and many others.

Power on the Malaysian-spec Toyota Innova comes from a 2.0-litre VVT-I petrol-fed engine generating 139 PS of maximum power and a peak torque of 183 Nm. Transmission options include a five-speed manual gearbox and a 6-speed conventional torque converter.

Being a Toyota, the Innova is a pretty safe car with features like multiple SRS airbags, ABS with EBD, brake assist, vehicle stability control, traction control, hill start assist, front & rear parking sensors, ISOFIX mounts, parking sensors with reverse camera, and others making way to the MPV. So, if the Toyota Innova is such a great MPV, is it the perfect car? Well, probably not. Similar to any other four-wheeler, the Toyota Innova also faces tough competition in the market. Discussed below are the top alternatives to the Japanese MPV.

What are the top alternatives to the Toyota Innova?

The top alternatives to the Toyota Innova are the Kia Grand Carnival, Nissan Serena, and the Maxus G10 SE. Even though it is only the Nissan Serena that lies close to the Toyota Innova in terms of pricing, the other two, that is, the Kia Grand Carnival and the Maxus G10 SE are also just as good competitors of the Japanese MPV as the Serena even with their higher price tags. With that said, it is also the lower price tag of the Toyota Innova that makes it an even more enticing and practical offering than its alternatives. Anyway, let's move ahead and know about the top three alternatives of the Toyota Innova.

Nissan Serena

The first of the three top alternatives to the Toyota Innova, the Nissan Serena features a modern appearance, spacious interior, comfortable ride quality, and a mighty powertrain. For starters, the Japanese MPV flaunts split headlights with turn signals & LED DRLs sitting on top of the headlamp clusters, vertically stacked taillights, blacked-out pillars, and a floating-roof appearance. Moving inside the MPV, we find ample space for seven persons with captain seats in both the first and second rows, seven USB charging ports, automatic climate control with roof-mounted AC vents, and other nifty features. Following are the different Nissan Serena models available in Malaysia:

Variant	Price
2.0L Highway Star	RM 132,888
2.0L Premium Highway Star	RM 142,888

 

Powering the Nissan Serena is the MR20DD 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that generates 150 PS of maximum power and a peak torque of 200 Nm. The engine is mated to a pulley-driver starter-generator that can give a boost of 2.6 PS and 48 Nm. The power is then sent to the wheels via a CVT. Speaking of safety, the Nissan Serena specs sheet comes equipped with six SRS airbags, ABS with EBD, brake assist, electronic stability control, 360-degree camera view, and others.

Kia Grand Carnival

Starting at a hefty RM 155,888, the Kia Grand Carnival is one large MPV. Thanks to the large size, the space inside the South Korean MPV can accommodate as many as 11 people. In Malaysia, however, Kia offers the seven-seater variant only. The exterior of the Kia Grand Carnival is blessed with the automaker's “tiger nose” chrome grille, LED DRLs, LED fog lamps, chrome surrounds on the side windows, machined alloy wheels, small rounded-rectangular tail lamps, and other bits & pieces. The interior, on the other hand, incorporates a dual-tone black and beige theme, wooden inserts, height-adjustable driver’s seat, push-button start with keyless entry, dual-zone climate control system with rear AC vents, leather upholstery, and a touchscreen infotainment system six speakers, among others.

Variant	Price
2.2D KX	RM 159,888
2.2D SX	RM 189,888

Under the hood of the Kia Grand Carnival is a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine capable of cranking 300 PS of maximum power output and a peak torque of 450 Nm. It is then a 6-speed automatic gearbox that channels the power to the wheels. On the safety front, the Kia Grand Carnival specs sheet gets multiple SRS airbags, ABS with EBD & brake assist, blind-spot collision warning with rear cross-traffic alert, hill start assist, electronic stability control, and front & rear parking sensors with a rearview camera.

 

Maxus G10 SE

Last on the list, the Maxus G10 SE is one of the more popular MPVs in Malaysia and features a roomy 2-3-2-3 layout. The MPV is available in a single variant, namely 2.0L Turbo, and can be had in any of the Blanc White, Obsidian Black, Aurora Silver, Amber Gold, Weststar Blue, Champagne Gold, and Lava Grey finishes. Providing the Maxus G10 SE with a stylish appearance are the likes of a chrome front grille, xenon HID headlights, chrome door handles, LED tail lights, and large 16-inch alloys. Further making the experience with the Maxus G10 comfortable & full of convenience are amenities like keyless entry with push-button start/stop, rain-sensing wipers, tilt-adjustable multifunction steering wheel, auto cruise control, automatic climate control with rear A/C vents, large touchscreen infotainment system with six speakers, sunroof, and others.

Variant	Price
2.0L Turbo	RM 157,888

 

The Maxus G10 SE comes housing a 2.0-litre turbocharged GDI engine that produces 225 hp of maximum power and a peak torque of 345 Nm. The transmission sending power to the wheels is a six-speed automatic unit. As far as the safety of the occupants is concerned, the Maxus G10 SE specs sheet gets dual front SRS airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, tyre pressure monitoring system, brake override system, engine immobiliser, and parking sensors with a reverse camera.

Following the long storytelling, you pretty much know everything about the Toyota Innova and its top three competitors. So, would you choose the ever so popular Japanese MPV or one of its competitors?

Also Read: UMW Toyota provides a minor update to Innova MPV and Fortuner SUV