Comparison- Tata Hexa vs Innova Crysta vs XUV5OO!

This post compares the newly launched Tata Hexa with its immediate competitors- Mahindra’s XUV5OO and Toyota’s Innvoa Crysta. I have driven the old Aria and new Hexa, I have driven the old and new XUV5OO (W6 variant). But I have not drive the Innova Crysta yet, but only its immediate previous model.  This post is outcome of my experience driving these vehicles and information available on their official website/channels. Depending on your expectation/usage and variant under consideration the actual experience may vary- please use your discretion.

Let us look at the statistics first.

#	Feature	Tata Hexa	Innova Crysta	XUV5OO	Remarks
1	Engine & Power	2.2 litre 156 PS (XT and XM, 150 for XE)	3 Engine options- 2.7 litre petrol, 2.4 and 2.8 litre diesel, power between 150 to 174 PS	2.2 litre and 1.99 litre (for NCR) with 142 PS power Micro-Hybrid (Brake energy regeneration) tech available	Innova's 174 PS version will be very expensive- lets consider 150 PS version for comparison
2	Transmission	6 Speed MT and 6 Speed AT	5 Speed MT and 6 Speed AT	6 Speed MT and 6 Speed AT
3	Price range (Ex-showroom, Delhi, approx)	Not known yet	15 to 22 lakhs	13 to 19 lakhs	Hexa pricing will be known in Jan 2017
4	Off Road Abilities	Yes, with HHC, HDC, ESP with rollover mitigation, LSD, Traction Control and Electronic Brake Pre-fill	NA Hill start assist & Vehicle Stability control available	Yes ESP with rollover mitigation HHC and HDC	ABS with EBD is standard in all
5	Water Wading Depth	450 mm	? What is that?	350 mm
6	Dimensions (L,W,H)	4788x1903x1791 mm	4735x1830x1795 mm	4585x1890x1785 mm	Hexa is longest, widest and just 4mm short of Innova’s height
7	Safety Features	ABS + EBD, Electronic Brake Pre-Fill, ESP, LSD, 6 airbags in top end variant All Disc brakes	7 airbags in top end, 3 standard across range Front disc, rear drum	Corner lighting (static bending headlamps) 6 airbags in W10 All Disc brakes
8	Entertainment features	Juke App, 10 unit JBL speakers	Standard music system with max 6 speakers	App support available, voice command
9	Interior/Comfort features	Manual Driver seat adjustment (8 way) Tilt adjustment only Follow me approach lamps Instant on demand Rear Camera display (even while moving forward)	Keyless entry Push button start Tilt and telescopic adjustment Second row tray table One touch seat folding	Keyless entry Push button start Electronic seat adjustment (6 way) + 2 manual Tilt and telescopic adjustment Follow me home, lead me to vehicle lamps, light below the mirror, Tyre pressure monitoring via app
10	Fancy features	Ambient lighting Sun blinds	Ambient illumination, Back door easy closing Wood finish Rear AC with display	Sunroof Lounge lighting
11	Ground Clearance	200 mm	193 mm	200 mm
12	Driving Modes	4 driving modes in Manual	NA	NA
13	Freshness/Exterior looks	Fresh looks with macho appeal		5 years old design, doesn’t turn heads any more
14	Wheel base	2850 mm	2750 mm	2700 mm	Hexa’s longer wheel base makes it more stable and gives more cabin space, but adds to turning radius
15	Strength	Fresh in the market, driving modes Larger, spacious	-Sedan like drive and comfort -Proven reliability -Available in Petrol	Feature loaded Good off road community & activities at M&M
16	Weakness	Needs more space to turn, park Misses out on some features compared to competition Pricing and variant wise detailed spec not known yet	-No 4x4 -Taxi Image -Fully loaded variant will be too expensive compared to competition	Very little space for luggage with all 3 rows upright
17	Fuel Economy	NA	15/14 (MT/AT)	16/14 (MT/AT)
18	Power to Weight Ratio (PS per Ton)	68.42*	83.33 (93 for 174 PS version)	75.26
19	Turning Radius (m)	5.75	5.4	5.6	Hexa needs more space
20	Gross Weight (Kg)	2510*	2480	2510	Hexa is heavier
21	Tyres	19"	16"	17"
22	Fuel tank	60 Litres	55 litres	70 litres
23	Official Website	Tata Hexa	Toyota Bharat	XUV5OO brochure

* Note that some information are sourced from public domain/internet when not available on manufacturer's official website. Please cross check for accuracy if such information are critical to your decision making.

Quick Summary: 
Tata Hexa is the new kid in the block- focuses heavily on driver comfort, thrill to drive aspect as well as passenger comfort, safety and entertainment.

But Hexa is relatively less agile with lower power to weight ratio, higher turning radius and also misses out on various cool features available with the competition- such as telescopic steering adjustment, sunroof, push button start, keyless entry and so on. But then, instead of these fancy features, Hexa gets some serious off road equipment, a driver focused system with 4 drive modes, efficient + sporty Autogear, a package of smart apps and an overall well balance package. Hexa offers the right combination of macho-SUV feel and comfort + convenience of a luxury sedan.

Hexa also gets a cheaper XE variant with less power, torque and naturally without various features, probably targeted at taxi market

Read about Hexa's Off road abilities here, differences between MT and AT here. A write-up on our bloggers meet and media drive is live here.  A full review of Hexa is available here 

Innova Crysta
The feature loaded top end Innova costs 25 lakhs on road or more, way beyond the possible pricing of Hexa and current pricing of XUV W10. I wouldn't spend 25 lakhs on an MPV, though it is feature loaded, highly comfortable and reliable vehicle. At 25 lakhs, it makes sense to go for a vehicle with SUV characteristics, so that occasional off-roading can be done and we can benefit from a bigger, stronger road presence of the vehicle. If you are comparing Crysta with Hexa or XUV you should consider a cheaper variant with 2.4 Diesel engine, which misses out on some of the fancy features mentioned in the brochure. Cheaper variant is highly focused on taxi market and not really ideal as a premium lifestyle vehicle.

XUV5OO
XUV5OO from Mahindra family has been around for about 5 years now- had some technical issues in its initial days which are now sorted out. XUV is feature loaded and Mahindra keeps conducting lots of drives and off-road events for its SUV owners. Compared to Hexa XUV gets less power, smaller wheels and less 4x4 features.

Some features which are available in all 3- such as cruise control, electrically adjustable and foldable external rear view mirrors etc are excluded.

Disclaimer: All information as available on official websites during preparation of this post. Product specifications and pricing may change over time and variant wise features may differ.