Toyota Innova 2021 Review

The seven-seater family car market in Malaysia has always been a core choice for pragmatic family users, balancing the fuel economy of daily commuting with the space needs for multiple passengers, while not compromising on safety features. As the mid-level version of the series, the 2021 Toyota Innova 2.0 G (AT) is priced at RM 133,880, offering a balanced configuration and rear-wheel drive layout, making it an alternative for many family users. In this test drive, we focus on verifying its spatial practicality, whether its performance meets daily needs, and if its features truly offer good value for money.

Looking at the exterior, the 2021 Innova 2.0 G maintains Toyota's consistent stable style, with overall harder lines and no excessive flashy design. The front features a trapezoidal grille surrounded by chrome trim, with the Toyota logo embedded in the center, paired with a combination of Halogen and LED headlights on both sides. The daytime running lights use LED sources, providing decent recognizability when lit. The waistline on the side of the car runs from the front to the rear, and the lower part of the doors has a concave design, adding a bit of layering. The 16-inch rims are paired with 205/65 R16 tires, which are appropriately sized for a family-purpose vehicle, and the thicker sidewalls can handle some unpaved roads. At the rear, the taillights are arranged horizontally, with a thin chrome trim connecting the two sides of the taillights. The lower bumper is made of black plastic material, which is scratch-resistant and fits the usage scenarios of a family car.

Sitting inside, the interior features a dark tone, and the dashboard adopts a symmetrical design, with hard plastic materials on the upper part and silver trim in the middle. Although the materials are not luxurious, the stitching gaps are even, and the workmanship matches the level of this price range. The steering wheel is multifunctional, with multimedia controls and Bluetooth phone buttons on the left and trip computer controls on the right. The grip is moderate. The 9-inch touchscreen infotainment display is located at the top of the dashboard, and its interface layout is clear. It supports Bluetooth connections and basic multimedia functions, with adequate operational smoothness. In terms of features, the 2021 Innova 2.0 G comes standard with keyless entry and push-button start. The front seats are fabric, with the driver’s seat offering 8-way electric adjustment and the front passenger seat adjusted manually. The seat cushioning is soft, providing comfort even during long rides. The rear row is equipped with separate air conditioning with vents located on the ceiling, which can quickly regulate the rear temperature. The third-row seats can be folded down in a 50:50 split, expanding the trunk space.

One of the core advantages of the Innova is its space functionality. The vehicle dimensions are 4735mm × 1830mm × 1795mm, with a wheelbase of 2750mm and an 8-seat layout (2+3+3). In real-world experience, after adjusting the front seats to a comfortable position, a passenger who is 175cm tall has a headroom of about a fist and two fingers. The second-row seats can accommodate three people, offering around two fist lengths of legroom and one fist headroom. The middle passenger also has relatively sufficient legroom, avoiding feelings of crowding. The third-row seats are suitable for passengers shorter than 165cm, with legroom being sufficient for short trips, though it can feel a bit cramped on longer journeys. In terms of storage space, the front door panels have storage compartments that can hold two bottles of water, there is a storage slot below the dashboard, and the center armrest box is relatively deep, allowing for the storage of small items. The second-row door panels also have storage compartments, and the sides of the third row each have a cup holder. The trunk can fit two 20-inch suitcases when all three rows of seats are in use, and folding down the third row significantly expands the space, making it suitable for transporting larger items.

Dynamic driving part, the 2021 Innova 2.0 G is equipped with a 2.0L naturally aspirated engine, delivering a maximum horsepower of 139PS (5600rpm) and a peak torque of 183Nm (4000rpm), paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive. The power output is relatively smooth during startup, with a throttle response that is not too aggressive, making it suitable for daily urban commuting. After accelerating to 60km/h, the power output becomes gradual and linear. For overtaking, you need to press the throttle deeply, at which point the transmission will downshift to accelerate. The entire process is quite smooth, though it lacks explosive power. After all, it is a naturally aspirated engine, and the parameters are as they are. There are three driving modes: Eco, Normal, and Sport. In Eco mode, the throttle response is softer, making it suitable for congested roads. In Sport mode, the transmission delays upshifting to maintain high RPMs, resulting in slightly quicker power response, but fuel consumption will increase.

In terms of handling, the steering wheel is relatively light, with minimal slack, making daily driving very easy. During high-speed driving, the steering wheel becomes slightly heavier, offering good stability. The front suspension is a double-wishbone independent suspension, while the rear suspension is a solid axle non-independent suspension (a common structure in rear-wheel-drive layouts). This combination results in average vibration absorption for the rear suspension when dealing with bumpy roads. Crossing speed bumps or uneven surfaces, rear passengers can feel noticeable vibrations, but it remains within an acceptable range. When taking turns, the body roll is not severe. After all, it’s a family car; handling is not its strong point, and stability is the main focus.

In terms of fuel consumption, the official combined fuel consumption is 9.1L/100km. During our test drive, the fuel consumption on congested urban roads (approximately 30% of the conditions) was about 10-11L/100km, and on highways (approximately 70% of the conditions), it was about 8-9L/100km. Overall, it averages around 9.5L/100km, which is not far off from the official figure and in line with the performance of a 2.0L naturally aspirated engine. With a fuel tank capacity of 55L, a full tank allows a driving range of approximately 550-600km, which is sufficient for daily commuting and short trips.

In terms of safety features, the 2021 Innova 2.0 G is equipped with 7 airbags (driver, passenger, front side airbags, front and rear curtain airbags, knee airbag), ABS, electronic stability control, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, 360-degree parking camera, front and rear parking sensors, and hill-start assist. These features are considered quite comprehensive among family cars in the same price range. In particular, the 360-degree camera and lane departure warning are very user-friendly for novice drivers.

In terms of comfort, the noise control inside the car is decent. At highway speeds (100km/h), wind noise and road noise become noticeable, but they do not affect normal conversations. The seats offer good support, and the breathable fabric material makes them comfortable for summer use without feeling too stuffy. The rear seats have independent air conditioning controls to care for the comfort of rear passengers, and the third row is also equipped with air conditioning vents, which is commendable.

In summary, the core advantage of the 2021 Toyota Innova 2.0 G (AT) lies in its balance: the space is sufficient to accommodate up to 8 people for short trips, the configurations are comprehensive (especially the safety features), and the rear-wheel-drive layout provides better performance for climbing or light off-road conditions compared to front-wheel-drive. Additionally, Toyota's reputation for reliability is a bonus. Compared to competitors in the same price range, like the Honda BR-V or Perodua Aruz, the Innova offers a larger body size, more comprehensive safety features, and a rear-wheel-drive layout that is better for heavy loads. However, when compared to the lower configuration version in the series (2.0 E, RM 111,622), the 2.0 G is about RM 22k more expensive, mainly due to differences in detailed configurations (such as electric driver’s seat and more advanced lighting combinations). Nonetheless, the mid-tier configuration is more complete, making it suitable for users with a slightly higher budget.

This car is clearly suitable for a specific group of people: family users who value practicality and space, seek reliability and durability, and often need to carry multiple passengers, especially those who occasionally travel on rural roads or uphill. The rear-wheel-drive layout will be more practical. If you are looking for a spacious, high-spec, and reliable seven-seater family car, the 2021 Innova 2.0 G (AT) is a choice worth considering.