There is a world of difference in the interiors of the three vehicles here. As MUVs, these vehicles will spend most of their time ferrying around a large family including kids and the elderly. Therefore, it is necessary for the interiors of these vehicles to be practical yet comfortable. The Tavera seems to be built perfectly for carrying seven (or eight, depending on the seat configuration) people with ease. It may be the narrowest of the lot but there is enough room inside for full sized adults. Getting in and out is easy but what’s a bit of a letdown is the seating position for the driver.The steering wheel is thin and has a plastic feel. It isn’t adjustable for height either. The speedometer console looks nice with easy to read dials. The music player has been integrated into the fascia and the beige interiors look good but only from a distance. Look closely and the quality of plastics doesn’t let you get much enthused. Even the material used to impart a fake wood look isn’t too convincing. The knobs for the air-conditioner seem low rent as well. However, we were impressed by the leather seats that come standard on the top end model. There are cubby holes for keeping your phone or wallet, the armrests are a boon for long drives and the twin glove boxes add a practical touch. The space in the middle and rear rows is good as well with roof mounted blowers for the aircon. However, there are no cup holders for the second and the third row passengers. The Innova has the classiest looking interiors here. It feels more like a sedan on the inside. A low seating position for the driver combined with a high quality four-spoke steering wheel feels good. The cream interiors not only look rich but can shame quite a few expensive sedans when it comes to quality. Wood inserts for the blowers and power windows, a great sounding music player plus other neat touches further augment the quality feel. The glove box between the front two seats doubles up as an armrest. The space for the front and middle row passengers is very generous, though the third row is best suited for kids.
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The challenger here, the XYLO offers the most versatile interiors. They not only look sporty but have been designed very well keeping passenger comfort and practicality in mind. For instance, dedicated blowers and reading lights for each passenger and cup holders for everyone are thoughtful touches. Use of black plastics with pinstriped white inserts further lends a sporty touch and the layout of the fascia is impressive. The seating position is upright but comfortable. The steering wheel is chunky and feels great to hold. The speedometer console too is easy to read and combined with the Digital Drive Assist System (DDAS) gives a wealth of information. This includes displaying inside/outside temperature, a compass, average speeds and fuel economy, distance to dry, etc. There are a few rough edges like the plastic mould finishing half way up the middle row windows and flimsy armrests which are difficult to raise up for locking / unlocking the seat belts. The XYLO however can seat seven in comfort. Getting to the third row is easy and space on offer is the best of the lot.All the three vehicles here have a 2.5-litre engine but the Tavera feels the most unrefined. Vibrations easily creep in through the gear lever and clutch pedal. The mildly turbocharged 2.5-litre engine feels weak on paper with just 80PS of power and 186Nm of torque. However, for city traffic, the motor feels decent. Shift up through the gears quickly and you won’t have a reason to complain. It picks up from as low as 1000rpm cleanly, and city runs don’t tire the driver much. However, the NVH levels are a bit of a letdown in this car. The gear shift quality too is not on par with the competition. The throws are quite long and there is a lot of play in the shift lever. Ergonomics, however, are quite good and once on open roads, the vehicle feels smooth at around the 100km/h mark. Visibility is great and the frugal engine will get you from point A to point B in the least amount of fuel. This is the reason why most taxi operators will swear by the fuel economy of the vehicle – an overall figure of 14.5kmpl is astonishing!
Toyota’s famous D4D has proven its mettle the world over. It is very smooth with a seamless flow of power. At 102PS, it isn’t the most powerful here, but the 200Nm of torque at just 1400rpm means that city driving is a fuss free affair. The third gear is best for crawling speeds – it still gathers momentum from low engine revs without a protest. Gear shifter has a long throw but the shifts are smooth and precise and the Innova always feels eager to close in on gaps. You can hardly feel the engine spinning inside, and given the stick, it can chew up miles on the highway without breaking a sweat. Rev the car, and it responds enthusiastically, building up speeds quickly. The engine is very reliable and quite frugal as well. The XYLO’s 2498cc engine comes from M&M’s NEF (New Engine Family) engine series. Most of the readers must be aware of the engine having undergone trials not only in India but abroad as well. At 114PS of power and 235Nm of torque, it is the most powerful engine here. This reflects in the way the XYLO responds to throttle inputs at various engine speeds. For instance, at 40km/h in the fifth gear, the engine is spinning at 1000rpm and still responds and builds up speeds rapidly. Another thousand rpm, and the needle goes beyond the 80km/h mark. At this point, the engine is gushing out all its torque and overtaking slow moving traffic is easy. Slow city driving or cross country blasts on open highways, the XYLO always feels ready to sprint ahead. Infact, shifting to second enthusiastically has the rear wheels chirping with enthusiasm. A 16.1 second 0-100km/h sprint makes it more than a second quicker than the Innova. The vehicle also goes onto hit a max of 154km/h with the speedometer showing a little over 160km/h. The XYLO, however, is not as reassuring as the other two at high triple digit speeds on the highway, but more on that later. The engine delivers decent figures for fuel economy as well with the digital display helping drivers squeeze out more from each litre of diesel.
