Toyota came to India back in 2000 with unarguably the ugliest looking thing, the Qualis. What it was, was a people s carrier which was backed up by legendary Toyota reliability. It could carry 7-8 people (officially) or even 10 or 12 or sometimes even 15 people anywhere, without anyone having to worry about the car breaking down. It became the natural choice for taxi operators and people living in joint families. Cops took a fancy to it as well. Nothing could touch the success of biggest bread box in India. GM tried with the Chevrolet Tavera. The Tavera was much more comfortable and a little cheaper as well and a lot more modern. But it failed to touch the Qualis.


Until 2005 when Toyota decided to axe the Qualis for the then recently introduced Innova. The Qualis lovers cried foul, the accountants said Toyota has gone nuts, why drop one of the biggest success stories in the Indian car industry ever, especially when it was still doing well. Unfortunately for them, Toyota had moved on.


Having finally having junked the bread box, the Innova came in. It was much more modern. It leapfrogged an entire model generation. It was no more a MUV or a MPV. It was a car which had 7-8 seats depending on the variant you chose.


The people who said Toyota had lost the plot by dropping the Qualis from the line up were now having to eat their words. Taxi operators gobbled up the new Toyota. Families who had earlier shied away from the Qualis citing reasons like it was too utilitarian or it had a 'taxi  image flocked Toyota showrooms. Toyota could not make enough of the Innova. The simple fact was that the Innova was a success.


So what made and still makes the Innova such a success? It is much more expensive than its old rival, the Tavera. It is older than its new rival, the Mahindra Xylo, plus it has fewer creature comforts and is a lot less comfortable. And the Xylo is priced lower than the Innova as well.


The answer is simple. It s about the brand. Toyota, which has made a name for itself around the globe of making boring cars which will withstand any punishment you might give it. Cars, which will obey your every command, without a murmur. Cars, which when thrashed, will not complain. Cars, which will do their job, the way they are supposed to. No heroics. Just plain and simple.


Looking at the Innova, there is just one word that comes to your mind-big, if not humongous. It s almost 4.6m in length and 1.8m wide. No fancy lines, no bling, none of the wannabe stuff that Indians expect in SUVs.


The Innova has a purpose. To carry people and their luggage, without making them that feel they re not at par with the snobs, in their big SUVs and sleek luxury sedans. That is the job it does, very well.


The Innova comes with either a 2.0 litre petrol engine or a 2.5 litre diesel. The petrol does not really matter. The diesel engine is pretty pathetic. It produces 102 BHP and 200 Nm of torque. Plus, in an age where companies are trying to market diesel engines on the basis of their economy and 'petrol engine like refinement , the diesel engine in the Innova makes a racket. Some vibrations too can be felt in the cabin, through the gear lever.


But, in the larger scheme of things, the size and the bad engine are just a couple of speed bumps. Because the rest of the car is fantastic. It feels more like a car rather than a utility vehicle. The interiors are functional and like the exteriors are not path breaking in any manner. The top end model comes with a dual AC, power windows, power steering, alloys, CD player, ABS, two airbags, parking sensors and a multi information display as standard.


Choosing the '7 seat  version will give you 2 bucket seats up front, 2 bucket seats in the middle and 2 seats at the rear. Practically, it can seat only 6. But unless you travel with every uncle, aunt and cousin of yours, it is the seat arrangement to go for. It is super comfortable, especially in the middle row.


The '8 seat  version which practically seats 7 is fine if you are a taxi operator. While it is not super comfortable, it is comfortable enough.


With the suspension being able to handle Indian roads pretty well, you will never be thrown around the car when the going gets tough. Although the suspension is not as softly sprung as the Xylo s, it does the job of ironing out the bumps pretty well.


Even though the not so softly sprung suspension loses out to the Xylo in the ride department, it kicks some very serious ass in the handling department. The humongous Innova handles as well as a car. While there is a little body roll, the steering is well weighted and going round corners, while not fun is not scary either.


The Innova is not ground breaking in terms of design. It doesn t set your pulse racing. No matter how much you pimp it up, it is never going to be desirable. But, life is not a party always is it? You need to be practical in life. And for those times, when you need the practicality of an estate, the Innova does the job better than an estate. When you need the practicality of carrying your entire family around, the Innova does the job. And it s car-like to drive. What else could the reasonable, practical family man ever want more from his car?


Oh, and it will never break down, remember?