Even as the Toyota Innova Crysta inches closer to a major update early next year, the premium people carrier has been sitting comfortably on top of its segment with consistent monthly sales. Over the years, the Innova nameplate has amassed a rock solid reputation thanks to its longevity and practicality.

Toyota Innova Diesel Bookings Stopped

Rushlane has learnt from its dealer sources that Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has recently issued an internal notice regarding the availability of diesel variants. TKM will halt the shipping of diesel Innova Crysta to dealers by August 2022, and from September 2022, only the petrol variants will be on sale.

New bookings of Innova diesel are no longer allowed. Dealers cannot make new bookings of Innova diesel in the system. Only Innova petrol bookings can be made. Existing bookings of diesel Innova will be honoured, and those will be delivered as per schedule. Bookings for diesel Innova will restart in Jan 2023.

It is not clear as to why Innova diesel bookings have been stopped. Being a three-row MPV, diesel is the most preferred choice of motor for the Innova Crysta. It is possible that the diesel Innova production has been stopped to prepare the assembly line and supply chain network for the next gen Innova.

Cutting the supply could have a significant dent in the sales figures but the company is hoping to get the new model ready by January 2023 so as to limit the damage. To boost sales of petrol Innova, a dealer said that Toyota only allows booking of in-demand Fortuner diesel variant when they book a Innova petrol. In simple words, dealers only get Fortuner diesel, when they book Innova petrol.

2023 Toyota Innova HyCross Hybrid New Gen

The new 2023 Toyota Innova HyCross Hybrid is expected to bring in major upgrades to the table and a hybrid petrol motor is very likely to join the lineup. It is possible that the petrol hybrid variant may replace the diesel for good in the future. It is no secret that OEMs all over the world are steadily stepping away from diesel engines for passenger cars due to very stringent emission norms. For now, it is reported that both Innova HyCross petrol hybrid and current Innova diesel will be on sale together.

In Europe, once the Euro 7 emission norms come into effect in 2025, diesel passenger cars will pretty much become things of the past. A similar aversion of diesel in the passenger car segment is expected to be seen across the globe including India. The technical solutions to make a diesel engine compliant to the future emission norms are simply too expensive in most cases so much so that OEMs have found the money is better invested in full or partial electrification.

Is petrol hybrid the new diesel?

We think a petrol hybrid powertrain will be a viable alternative to the existing diesel motor for the new Innova. Not much is known as of now but there were previous reports which suggested that the new model will enter trial production in India towards the end of this year. The production halt of diesel variants seems to confirm this theory.

The current petrol engine is a 2.7-liter naturally aspirated unit which is good for 166 hp and 245 Nm of torque. We expect the new hybrid powertrain to employ a downsized IC engine and an electric motor with a combined system output higher than the outgoing traditional unit. An impressive real-world fuel economy will convince the diesel-lovers to stop and take notice. The new Toyota Innova Crysta will also receive a complete exterior and interior overhaul. One can also expect a host of new features to be offered.