Toyota's new 2012 Innova lands on Philippine shores
After the Fortuner and Hilux were launched last August 2011, we knew that their last IMV sibling, the Innova, will be coming pretty soon after. And finally, after a six month wait, Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) invited an odd 60 of us motoring journalists to the beautiful island of Boracay to witness the arrival of the country's best-selling commercial vehicle (CV) in the most epic way possible. Let me introduce to you the new 2012 Toyota Innova.
With six years of experience under its belt, the new Innova is now more cultured for the finer things in life. It went under the knife and got an entirely redesigned front end that some might say now looks a bit like the Camry - a good attribute considering the executive sedan's flair. The front grill, cornered headlights, and blackened fog light housings received updated geometries, while the updated bumper, hood, and fenders are given a more defined character, growing more prominent lines and showing off a bit more muscle. Though the body generally remains untouched, the rear gets a fresh set of clear tail lights and a little nip/tuck for the rear bumper. Added changes were also included for the top of the line variants such as side mirror turn lamps, side skirts, and an altered license garnish.
Inside, it's mostly still the same trusty Innova that we've known over the years, but the four-spoke steering wheel with audio controls, restyled intrument panel, and wood trims with added silver accents are welcome changes. Plus, they've upgraded the headunit to a 2-DIN CD/MP3 player with an aux port to keep it up to date. There's also a slight change done to the A/C controls that only the keenest of eyes would notice. And just like before, this MPV comes with eight- or seven- (captain second row seats for the V grade) seater configurations.
