Toyota Innova Hycross vs Kia Carnival: the ultimate battle between premium minivans

The new Toyota Innova Hycross The hybrid MPV has recently been revealed in the Indian market as a more modern and sophisticated alternative to the Innovate Crystal. Toyota confirmed that the Innova Crystal it will continue to be sold alongside the new Innova Hycross, meaning that the latter will be positioned above the former in Toyota’s range.
This also means that the InnovaHycross will help Toyota get closer to the Kia Carnival, which sits a segment above it with no direct rival in sight. With the Innova Hycross approaching its launch, here is a detailed spec comparison between the two MPVs, take a look:
Dimensions
The VX Hybrid variant of the Toyota Innova Hycross has a length of 4755mm, a width of 1845mm, is 1795mm high and has a long wheelbase of 2850mm. In contrast, the Kia Carnival measures 5115mm long, 1985mm wide, 1755mm high and gets a 3060mm long wheelbase.

It is obvious that the Kia Carnival is bigger than the Toyota Innova Hycross, being positioned in a higher segment. The Kia MPV is 360mm longer, 140mm wider, 40mm shorter and has a 210mm longer wheelbase than the upcoming new Innova. The Innova Hycross can be obtained in a 7-seat configuration with captain’s seats in the center or an 8-seat configuration. The Kia Carnival is available as a 7-seater, with optional VIP seats in the second row.
Engine specifications
The new Toyota Innova Hycross is offered with two engine options: a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 174PS/209Nm and a 2.0-litre hybrid petrol engine producing 186PS/206Nm Nm of torque. The first is available with CVT automatic transmission as standard, while the strong-hybrid version is only available with e-CVT.

While the Toyota Innova Hycross lacks a diesel engine, the hybrid powertrain is claimed to maintain a fuel efficiency figure of 21.1 kmpl! That said, the Kia Carnival is offered with a single 2.2-litre diesel engine that delivers 200PS of power and 440Nm of torque. It comes with an 8-speed AT as standard.
Features
On the feature front, the Toyota Innova Hycross comes with dual-zone climate control, 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, panoramic sunroof, 9-speaker JBL sound system, power ottoman seats with extendable second row leg rests, a 360 degrees, mood lighting, power liftgate and digital instrument cluster.
Conversely, Kia Carnival gets an 8-inch infotainment unit with Kia Connect, dual 10.1-inch rear-seat entertainment screens with integrated OTT and news apps, 8-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system, driver’s seat 10-way electrically adjustable, power tailgate, power sliding doors, power double sunroof, three-zone automatic climate control, VIP seats with leg support and so on.
Take a look at the dashboard design of the two MPVs below:

Safety
The Toyota Innova Hycross safety suite consists of 6 airbags, vehicle stability control + hill start assist, electronic parking brake with automatic lock, ABS with EBD, front and rear parking sensors, ISOFIX anchors and the Toyota Safety suite Sense of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) including Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Trace Assistance, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Monitor, Pre-Crash Safety (Warning) and Auto High Beam.
Safety features offered with Kia Carnival include ABS with EBD, ESC with Hill Assist Control, Roll Over Mitigation, Cornering Brake Control, 6 airbags, front and rear disc brakes, front and rear parking sensors and ISOFIX anchors for child seats .
Price
The Kia Carnival is available in three variants namely Prestige, Limousine and Limousine Plus priced at Rs 30.99 lakh, Rs 33.49 lakh and Rs 35.49 lakh respectively (ex showroom). Meanwhile, pricing for the Toyota Innova Hycross is expected to be announced next month.

That said, the Innova Hycross will in all likelihood undercut the Kia Carnival, considering it’s in a lower segment. We expect Toyota to price the new MPV between Rs 20-30 lakh (ex-showroom).