The Innova has long been the answer to the age-old Indian question: what do you buy when the whole family, the luggage, and occasionally the neighbour's dog need to go to Lonavala together?
Now it has an answer to a new question: what if you want all that, but with complete crash-tested peace of mind?
The Toyota Innova Hycross has just scored a full 5-star safety rating in the Bharat NCAP tests. If you were already convinced that this was India's ultimate people mover, well, now it's also among India's safest.
Adult Occupant Protection: 30.47/32
Let's start with the grown-ups. In crash testing, the Hycross scored an impressive 30.47 out of 32 possible points. That includes:
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Frontal Offset Test: 14.47 out of 16
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Side Impact Test: a clean 16 out of 16
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Side Pole Impact: marked 'OK' with solid cabin integrity
The critical zones—head, chest, thighs—remained well protected in both driver and passenger positions. In simple terms, if things go sideways, the Hycross knows how to stay composed and protect what matters.
Child Occupant Protection: 45/49
No one buys an Innova for a weekend solo drive. It's a family mover. And in that spirit, child safety scores are just as vital. The Hycross delivers again.
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Dynamic Child Seat Score: 24/24
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Child Restraint Installation: 12/12
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Vehicle Safety Assessment: 9/13
The test used ISOFIX-mounted child seats in the second row, and protection for both 3-year-old and 18-month-old dummies was rated excellent in all crash scenarios. There's no third-row ISOFIX, which is mildly disappointing, but honestly, very few ever strap toddlers in the boot section anyway.
Standard Safety Features: Sensibly Sorted
Safety isn't just about structure. A strong list of standard safety tech across all variants also backs the Hycross's 5-star rating:
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Six airbags
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ESC (Electronic Stability Control)
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Seatbelt reminders for all occupants
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ISOFIX mounts
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Pedestrian protection tech
And crucially, Toyota has resisted the urge to restrict safety kit to only the expensive variants. Which means whether you're a private buyer or a fleet operator, you get the complete set.
What This Means
The Hycross already had the big numbers:
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A 2.0-litre petrol or strong hybrid engine
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Up to 183 bhp and 206 Nm in petrol, or 188 bhp and 206 Nm + e-motor torque in hybrid guise
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Claimed fuel efficiency of 21.1 kmpl (for the hybrid)
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Prices starting from around ₹19 lakh ex-showroom
Now it adds one more number to that list: five. As in, five shiny stars from Bharat NCAP.
Verdict: Safe. Sensible. Sorted.
So what do we make of all this?
The Innova Hycross was already the most rational car in India. It's comfortable, efficient, and runs forever, and now it's officially safe enough to carry your entire bloodline without worry.
It won't drift, it won't launch, and it won't lap the Nürburgring. But it will get your family to school, the airport, or that hill station trip in quiet, refined peace. With all limbs intact.
That's more than enough.
