Toyota Innova Hycross facelift set to launch on 25 November - What's new

Toyota will launch the Innova Hycross facelift in India on November 25. It should bring new styling outside and upgrades inside. Some of those upgrades come from the recently updated Indonesia-spec model. The strong hybrid is also expected to get changes so it can run on higher ethanol blends, including E30 or above. The MPV launched in 2022, and this will be its first major update.

Exterior and interior changes
Test mules spotted earlier point to a revised front end. It should have a new grille and sleeker headlamps. We also expect new alloy wheels, redesigned bumpers and revised taillamps.

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Inside, the Indian model should pick up some features from the updated Indonesia-spec Innova Hycross. Toyota sells that car there as the Kijang Innova Zenix. Its higher-spec variants now get a 12.3-inch touchscreen. It replaces the older 10.1-inch unit. The hybrid variants also get a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display. The petrol versions get a 7-inch display.

The current India-spec model has a 10.1-inch touchscreen and analogue instrument cluster with a central multi-information display. The facelift should carry over the bigger touchscreen and the digital driver’s display from the Indonesian model. We also expect new seat upholstery, updated infotainment software and new interior colours.

Powertrain changes
The facelift should keep the current 2.0-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol strong hybrid setup. Toyota will modify the engine to handle higher ethanol blends. It will likely run on E30 or higher. We don’t yet know the maximum ethanol blend it will support.

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Toyota showed an ethanol-compatible Innova Hycross hybrid prototype in 2024. It used a 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol engine with an electric motor, just like the regular strong hybrid. Toyota designed it to run on petrol blended with more than 20 percent ethanol.

If it launches with this ability, the Innova Hycross facelift will be India's first flex-fuel strong hybrid car. We don’t know yet whether the non-hybrid 2.0-litre petrol variants will also get an update for higher ethanol blends. The MPV is likely to be priced between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 35 lakh (ex-showroom).