Toyota Innova Crysta in pole position in February sales; Tata Hexa struggles: Report

Toyota sold 6,054 units of the Innova Crysta in February registering 20 percent growth.

Toyota Innova Crysta, Tata Hexa — Toyota Innova Crysta and Tata HexaPR handout

Toyota Innova Crysta is the most popular MPV in above Rs 10 lakh segment in the country. Tata Motors launched Hexa in January and it directly competes against the Toyota MPV. After its first full month sales, it is clear that there is a long way to go for Hexa to catch up with the Innova Crysta's sales.

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Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) sold 6,054 units of the Innova Crysta in February registering 20 percent growth month-on-month basis. However, Hexa found only 1,026 takers last month and their registered sales declined by 31 percent according to Cardekho. Tata Motors sold 1,498 Hexa units by the end of January 31 after launching the vehicle on January 18.

Despite being priced premium over the last generation, the Innova's demand has not seen a dip. The Innova nameplate has almost become household name for premium MPV in India. Launched in May 2016, TKM has sold more than 67,500 units so far. The MPV has over 6,500 units of average monthly sales. The Innova Crysta is available in both petrol and diesel engine options. The 164bhp 2.7-litre unit is the petrol option, while two diesel mills are 148bhp 2.4-litre and 172bhp 2.8-litre motor.

Innova sales in first gear after Crysta launch. Pictured: Toyota Innova CrystaPR handout

On the other hand, Tata Hexa had received a head start in January with a promising 1,498 unit sales. However, February sales number is not inspiring for the journey of Hexa in the MPV space. However, it's too early to comment on the future of Hexa and a clear picture is expected to emerge in the next couple of months. It was reported that Hexa has received over 6,000 bookings. Hence, issues with supply chain may have been the reason for drop in numbers. The Hexa draws power from a 2.2-litre Varicor engine. While the engine generates 148bhp and 320Nm of torque in the base variant of the Hexa, the same engine in other variants will develop 154bhp and 400Nm of torque.

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is the only other MPV in the country doing healthy sales priced under Rs 10 lakh. The Ertiga has reportedly found over 5,500 takers in February. Other MPVs such as Chevrolet Enjoy and the Honda Mobilio are getting prepared for discontinuation.