Toyota Motor Philippines launches 2012 Innova

February 27,2012

The Toyota Innova has been the Philippines’ favorite mode of family transport practically the minute since it was launched in 2005. After a couple of minor upgrades and following the refreshed Hilux and Fortuner, it’s now the Innova’s turn to get a new face and changes to the interior.

The 2012 Innova gets new headlamp clusters, grille, front bumper, foglights, and hood. The sides now feature a character crease low on the doors. The rear gets new taillights, and a reshaped lip on the rear door. The changes make it look more upscale, with a look borrowed from American minivans (think Chrysler Town & Country).

Inside, it’s the Innova we are all familiar with, with car-like seating and instruments. There’s a handsome new audio panel, sitting above a digital climate-control console. The audio player is a 2-DIN CD player with MP3 capability and auxiliary port. Innova gets a new four-spoke steering wheel with audio controls, and new multi-colored Optitron fluorescent gauges. It’s not an Innova without lots of wood trim, so that is retained on the higher grades, and the V grade also gets a slice of wood on the steering wheel. The warning chime for the parking sensor on the higher grades is now defeatable via a dashboard switch.

The base J gets vinyl seats, with the next-higher E getting semi-fabric, full moquette fabric on the G grade, and leather for the top of the line V. Innova still seats eight in sufficient comfort, thanks to the sliding second row. The V grade gets captain’s chairs in the second row, dropping its seat count to seven.

The engines, still quite acceptable, have been retained: the 2.0-liter good for 135bhp and 182Nm, and the 2.5-liter diesel with 101bhp and 260Nm (200Nm only for the manual transmission cars.) Transmission choices remain the five-speed manual and four-speed automatic.

Innova is a body-on-frame construction, which helps its rough-road capability. Double wishbones are up front and a four-link with solid axle at the rear. Coil springs and 15-inch wheels are standard, with aluminum alloy wheels standard on all but the J grade.

Prices are bumped up slightly:

VARIANT – PRICE (Philippine Pesos)
2.5V DIESEL A/T (White Pearl) 1,235,000
2.0V GAS A/T (White Pearl) 1,180,000
2.5G DIESEL A/T (White Pearl) 1,175,000
2.5G DIESEL M/T (White Pearl) 1,110,000
2.0G GAS A/T (White Pearl) 1,120,000
2.0G GAS M/T (White Pearl) 1,055,000
2.5V DIESEL A/T 1,220,000
2.0V GAS A/T 1,165,000
2.5G DIESEL A/T 1,160,000
2.5G DIESEL M/T 1,095,000
2.0G GAS A/T 1,105,000
2.0G GAS M/T 1,040,000
2.5E DIESEL A/T 1,043,000
2.5E DIESEL M/T 978,000
2.0E GAS A/T 988,000
2.0E GAS M/T 923,000
2.5J DIESEL M/T 868,000
2.0J GAS M/T 813,000

Eight colors are available at launch: Silver Metallic, Black, Bronze Mica Metallic, Super White II, Red Mica Metallic, Biege Metallic, Light Blue Mica Metallic and White Pearl.

Toyota also introduced a loyalty program whereby current Tamaraw FX, Revo, or Innova customers can get up to P40,000 savings when they purchase a new Innova. Owners of other Toyotas can get up to P30,000 with Innova purchase. The offer expires on 29 February 2012.

The Innova is Toyota Motor Philippines’ (TMP) most important product, being the market leader in the Philippine commercial vehicle market, and second only to the (cheaper) Vios sedan in sales figures. TMP has sold over 70,000 Innovas from 2005-2011. Toyota spared no expense in launching the Innova, flying around 800 persons to Boracay island, including their dealer principals and media. (as well as Sheree, Martin Nievera and Gary Valenciano). The Innova was launched at the Ecoville Convention Center on Boracay.

Are the changes enough to keep the Innova on top of the MPV heap? We think yes, with the upgrades serving to hold the fort until an all-new model debuts in a year or two.

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