Toyota Innova Zenix Hybrid Review – The Opposite Problem of the Corolla Cross

Innova Zenix Hybrid Specifications

Engine
Model	M20A-FXS
Type	4-cylinder, In-line, 16-Valve DOHC with VVT-i
Displacement	1,987 cc
Bore x Stroke	80.5 x 97.6 mm
Maximum Output	112 (152) / 6,000 RPM
Maximum Torque	188 Nm / 4,400 – 5,200 RPM
Hybrid Electric Battery
Type	Nickel Metal Hydride Battery
Motor Generator Type	Permananet Magnet Synchronous Motor
Battery Capacity (3HR)	6.5 Ahr
Max. Output kW (PS)	83 (113)
Max. Output Combination	186 PS (system)
Max. Torque	206 Nm
Transmission
Type	E-CVT
Chassis
Suspension (Front / Rear)	MacPherson Strut with Stabiliser / Torsion Beam with Stabiliser
Brakes (Front / Rear)	Ventilated Disc / Solid Disc
Tyres & Rims	225/50 R18, Alloy
Spare Tyre & Rim	205/65R16 Steel
Steering	Electric Power Steering
Dimensions
Length / Width / Height	4,760 / 1,850 / 1,790 mm
Wheelbase	2,850 mm
Kerb Weight	1,685 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity	52 L
Minimum Turning Radius	5.67 / 6.08 m
Exterior Features
Headlamps (Type)	LED (with Auto High Beam)
Headlamps (Daytime Running Lights)	With (LED)
Headlamps (Levelling)	Manual
Fog Lamps	With (LED)
Front and Rear Wipers	Intermittent with Time Adjustable & Mist / with Reverse Linked Function
Rear Tail Lamps	With (LED)
Radiator Grille	Hexagon Grille with Glossy Finish
Wing Mirrors	Auto Retractable, Auto Fold, Welcome Lamp & BSM Indicators
Antenna with Shark Fin Design	Shark Fin
Roof Rails	With
Interior Features
Interior Colour & Trim	Black
Smart Entry & Start System	With
Drive Mode	SPORT / ECO / NORMAL / EV
Multi-Information Display (MID)	7″ Colour TFT
Air Conditioning	Automatic A/C / Automatic Rear Cooler
Steering Wheel (Type)	3-spoke Leather with Tilt & Telescopic Adjustable
Steering Wheel (Switches)	Audio, Meter, Telephone, Adaptive Cruise Control, TSS3, Drive Mode
Illumination System	With (Front Door, Cup Holder & Centre Tray)
Gear Shift Lever	Leather & Silver Ornament
Digital Video Recorder (DVR) – Front	With
Inside Rear View Mirror	Electrochromic Mirror
3D Panoramic View Monitor (PVM)	With
Audio (Type)	Display Audio with 10.1″ Capacitive Touch Screen, Wired / Wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto™-ready Connectivity, USB & Bluetooth®
Audio (Speakers)	4 x Speakers 2 x Tweeters
Seats Material	Black Leather
Front Seat (Driver Seat)	8-way Power Seat
Front Seat (Front Passenger Seat)	Manual Adjust
Front Seat (Front Armrest)	With Sliding Armrest
Front Seat (Front Cup Holders)	With
Rear Seat (Type)	Captain Seat, Walk in Slide & Side Table
Rear Seat (3rd Row)	5:5 Tilt down
Rear Seat (Rear Armrest)	With Cup Holders
Rear Air Ventilation	With
Power Windows	Front and Rear with Auto Up/Down & Jam Protection
Power ports	2 x rear USB ports 2 x 12V power outlet
Luggage Box	With
Carpet Mat	With
Safety – Active
Pre-Collision System (PCS)	With
Lane Departure Alert (LDA) with Steering Assist	With
Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC)	With
Lane Tracing Assist (LTA)	With
Automatic High Beam (AHB)	With
Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) & Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)	With
Tyre Pressure Warning System (TPWS)	With
Parking Sensors	With (Front x2 & Rear x2)
Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRC)	With
Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), Emergency Brake Signal (EBS)	With
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)	With Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA)
Hybrid Regenerative Braking	With
Parking Brake	EPB and Brake Hold
Safety – Passive
SRS Airbags	6 (Driver, Passenger, Side & Curtain)
Seatbelts (Warning)	With (All)
Seatbelts (Front)	3-point ELR x2 with Pretensioner and Force Limiter
Seatbelts (2nd Row)	3-point ELR x2
Seatbelts (3rd Row)	3-Point ELR x3
ISOFIX	With *2 + Tether Anchor
Security
Security System	With Immobilizer, Siren with Back up Battery, Ultrasonic Sensor, Glass Brake Sensor
Vehicle Telematics System (VTS)	With

Fuel Consumption

We drove the Toyota Innova Zenix for about a week, accumulating a mileage of 221km according to the odometer. We also used up 20.54 litres of fuel, which translates to a fuel consumption figure of about 10.76km/l (9.29l/100km). The drive consists of about 65% city drive and 35% highway, with me being mostly on Normal and ECO modes, with Sport mode being used sparingly.

To me, this is abnormally high considering that the Corolla Cross Hybrid almost doubles the efficiency at 16.84km/l (5.94l/100km), with both cars being Toyota’s own hybrids. There was also never a point where the hybrid battery was drained completely so it had to fully rely on the combustion engine. Furthermore, the Innova Zenix Hybrid was not subjected to traffics as heavy as we did with the Corolla Cross Hybrid, nor was it ferrying a lot of passengers as 80% of the drive was me by my lonesome and the other 20% was with just one other person.

It could be an issue specifically with the unit that we reviewed but we might consider trying it again to see if we can optimize the drive better but for now, the fuel consumption is quite high, especially by hybrid standards. It’s worth pointing out that other reviewers are able to get it below the 14.3km/l (7l/100km) mark, which isn’t close to our figures from the Corolla Cross Hybrid review, but it’s a more reasonable figure given the Innova Zenix Hybrid’s size.

Maintenance Cost

A major part about ownership cost isn’t paying directly for the car itself but caring for it. Given that this is a 2.0L Hybrid crossover, you might think that the maintenance cost would be pricey but it’s actually not bad. Assuming there are no major repairs or surprise part replacements needed, this is what you’re looking at over the course of 5 years:

Compulsory 1st Service	RM225
8 x Maxcheck Advance	RM2,600
2 x Maxcheck Advance Plus (Major Service)	RM1,170
Grand Total	RM3,995

Do note that this doesn’t account for certain things like cabin air filters and petrol injector cleaners, which customers will be advised to do so every 30,000km and 10,000km respectively. Customers can also opt for their 5-year Toyota Service Savers package, which will will include all the services mentioned above and discounts (20% off for alignment, balancing, and air conditioning packages, 10% off for selected parts) for just RM3,790. I’m surprised that it’s cheaper than the Corolla Cross Hybrid, albeit by a small margin that would practically be negligible when you divide it over the course of 5 years.

The Good

There are a number of good reasons to consider the Toyota Innova Zenix Hybrid. For starters, it’s a large, spacious car. This one has a 2-2-3 seating configuration, though you will realistically only fit in 6 adults at once, with the shorter ones in the 3rd row. You can also opt for a 4-seater configuration which will yield an enormous luggage space in the rear, which would otherwise be small with the 3rd row of seats up.

The space in the driver’s seat is also spacious and comfortable, with it being able to accommodate me, a 186cm (6 ft 2) adult with longer legs. Even when I have the seats pushed all the way to the back, the passenger seat directly behind the driver’s seat still has decent space, so there will be no issues with two tall people being seated back to back. Head space is also decent throughout the cabin. There should also not be issues if your body is on the wider side, for as long as you’re staying away from the 3rd row of seats.

What really makes the car feel more spacious than it actually is would be the huge sunroof. It goes from about a half of the driver’s seat position to where the 2nd and 3rd row of seats meet. It’s a great way to get some natural light in and it certainly makes the drive more enjoyable, especially for the passengers. To my surprise, the air conditioning system is more than adequate in keeping the car feeling cool while having the sunroof revealed without its cover on a hot sunny day’s drive. Each row has their own vent so that helps a lot.

One major feature that I’m sure many will be happy about here is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. To be precise, Android Auto is available only in wired but for Apple CarPlay, you can connect wirelessly. It’s a step above from the Corolla Cross Hybrid not just because of this but because connection on both wired and wireless are stable, you get a larger infotainment display, and the speakers are better overall.

Considering the points above, the interior is certainly much better than the Corolla Cross Hybrid as it’s designed more practically and it looks more pleasing as well. It’s not just because of the larger infotainment system as you have more storage space in the cabin. As you do have cupholders on the driver’s and front passenger’s air conditioning vent, it frees up the center cupholders to put your small items like wallets, smartphones, and more. The use of Electronic Parking Brake adds convenience and frees up more space.

The Innova Zenix Hybrid, to my surprise, drives surprisingly well. Not only does it feel like you’re driving a typical sedan car as opposed to something much larger, there’s more oomph in its acceleration. In fact, ECO mode in this feels more akin to Corolla Cross Hybrid on Standard mode, and like that car, it powers on silently and drives on the quieter, comfortable side.

The height adds another layer of enjoyment and safety as you get much better road visibility compared to most other cars out there. I’m surprised it can take turns like a champ given the height, but remember to not go too fast when doing so, and don’t try to drift with this, ever. Brakes are also on the stronger side, giving you more confidence in case of sudden obstructions.

Lastly, you get pretty solid options in cases of emergencies as the Toyota Innova Zenix Hybrid not only comes with a tyre inflator kit, but it also has a full-sized spare tyre included just in case. Most hybrids tend to not come with spare tyres or just a space-saver type due to a lack of space inside but for this one, it’s stored in the undercarriage. Furthermore, this one comes with 8 years of warranty for the hybrid battery, inverter, and ECU with an option to extend it to a total of 10 years.

The Bad

Of course, the Toyota Innova Zenix Hybrid has its share of drawbacks. For starters, the Toyota Innova Zenix Hybrid has the opposite problem from the Corolla Cross Hybrid, where the inside looks good but not so much for the outside. Sure, it has more SUV stylings and it’s shaped more dynamically, but it looks like an old person’s car. To be precise, Malaysians would refer to it as the “kereta ustaz” look. While it might be a good fit for young adults for long-term use, I’m certain many will shy away because of its looks.

One odd things that wasn’t brought over from the Corolla Cross Hybrid is dual-zone climate control. This means that whatever temperature that was set will be shared throughout the cabin. With that being said, air conditioner works great, even with the sunroof exposed, so I personally wouldn’t complain about it. If you frequently ferry people around and they prefer a different temperature, then it can be slightly annoying.

While it is a spacious car, the 3rd row of seats aren’t exactly usable except for children and people who are on the shorter side. This might be a hard limitation to overcome without making the car even larger but it’s worth noting if you need to ferry more than 4 full-sized adults often. The captain seats on the 2nd row, which cannot be folded flat, also means you can’t seat 5 people without using the 3rd row as well.

Lastly, the Toyota Innova Zenix Hybrid is also quite a pricey car as it starts from RM202,000. The price point also feels a bit awkward as it’s expensive for those who want value from a compact SUV, but it’s also far away from more premium offerings like the Toyota Vellfire that costs double. Personally, a price of around RM170,000 would have been the sweet spot as it rightfully deserves to be above the Corolla Cross Hybrid in terms of price, but this one a bit too far up there that most people would strongly consider alternatives for the same price.

Toyota Innova Zenix Hybrid Verdict

The Toyota Innova Zenix Hybrid has the opposite problem of the Corolla Cross Hybrid, but it’s still a good car nonetheless. It’s an MPV with SUV stylings, and I believe we can bring down the fuel consumption further (which we might consider driving it again for further testing) but it’s going to be hard to sell given its high price tag, which is likely a result of it not being assembled locally.

At the end of our Toyota Innova Zenix Hybrid review, I award this hybrid with our Bronze Pokdeward.

Big thanks to Toyota Malaysia for sending us this car for the purpose of this review.