Head to Head

It's safe to say that MPVs, or Multi Purpose Vehicles, are the jack of all trades when it comes to motoring. Not only do they have to seat seven, they must also be efficient, effective and, most importantly, versatile. Your options? Consider the evergreen Toyota Innova and the newcomer, the Mahindra Xylo, the focus of this week's Head to Head.

This week's Head to Head pits two highly capable MPVs bumper to bumper, the Mahindra Xylo and the Toyota Innova. Let's take a look at the stats and see what each car has to offer.

There are two engine options available for the Toyota Innova. It starts with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder gas engine with Dual VVT-i with 136 PS and 183 Nm of torque. If you prefer diesel power, there is also the new 2.8-liter D-4D engine that puts out 171 PS and 360 Nm of torque. Transmission choices are five-speed manual or six-speed automatic

In the Mahindra Xylo, it's just one engine and transmission combination. It is the 2.2-liter M-Hawk turbodiesel that produces 120 PS and 280 Nm of torque. Shifting is done through a five-speed manual transmission.

It is worth noting that the Innova and Xylo have similar chassis and suspension set ups. Both use a body on frame construction, double wishbone suspension in the front and a live axle set up at the rear. The two are also rear wheel drive.

Inside, the Mahinda Xylo is equipped with manual climate control, as well as extra air-conditioning vents for the second and third row occupants. Steering wheel mounted audio controls, as well as cruise control, is standard. It is also equipped with a vehicle information display that shows fuel economy, as well as fuel range. As for the rest of the interior, it is trimmed in beige with faux wood panels. The second row seats tumble forward for access to the third row. Speaking of the third row, it is a one-piece bench which also tumbles forward for stowage. Entry-level variants meanwhile lose the steering wheel mounted controls, leather seats but gain seating for two more, making it a nine-seater. A five-seater variant is also available

For the Innova, manual climate control is used for the entry-level models while the rest of the range gets automatic climate control. Rear occupants are cooled by a ceiling-mounted air-conditioning unit. Select variants also get a vehicle information display. Fabric seats are used for base and mid-spec trims while higher variants get leather. Two seating arrangements are available for the Innova with seven or eight seat configurations. The six-seater models get captain chairs in the second row while the seven-seat variant gets a bench arrangement. As for the third row, it hinges from the side for placing and stowing.

Depending on the variant, the Innova comes with either a 2-DIN head unit or a touchscreen. All but the base model come with Bluetooth and USB ports. Standard in all is a CD Player, Aux-in, and MP3. The two top trim lines gain Navigation as well.

As for the Xylo, base models use a 1-DIN stereo with CD, USB and MP3. Meanwhile, top-spec variants get a 2-DIN sound system. CD, USB and MP3 compatibility is also present and gains an SD Card reader.

Moving to their exteriors, the two have different interpretations on what an MPV should look like. The Toyota Innova features sweeping lines with a bold front fascia and a distinct hexagonal grill. Long wraparound headlights complete the look of the front. Moving to its side, it has a distinct character line that can be seen on the middle section of the MPV along with a pinched third-row window. The entire range sits on 16 inch alloy wheels except for the base model which come with 16 inch steel rims with wheel covers. At the rear is a reverse L tail light and is complemented by a rear tailgate spoiler.

In contrast with the Innova, the Xylo, sees a tall, upright design. At the front are large headlights and a slim six-slat grill. Black trim surrounds the bottom half of the car and all variants get stepboards as standard. Meanwhile, the tall windows further accent the Xylo's height. At the rear is a unique tailgate design the opens sidewards and at the corners are vertical tail lights.

On to safety, the Xylo is equipped with dual front airbags, as well as Anti-lock brakes. Top-spec models add heat cooling for the brakes. In the Innova, it too gets dual front airbags plus knee airbags for the driver. Side and curtain airbags are reserved for the range-topping variant. Anti-lock brakes are standard across the line.

The Toyota Innova has wide range of models to choose from. It starts with the entry-level J variants and moves to the E. More equipment can be found in the G model and comes fully loaded in the V variants. Most trim levels can be equipped with manual or automatic transmissions, as well as gas or diesel engines. V models come exclusively with diesel engines and automatic transmissions.

For the Xylo, two variants are available, namely the base E2 and top of the line E8. Both come with a diesel engine and manual transmissions.

Prices for the Mahindra Xylo start at Php 830,000 to Php 940,000. As for the Innova, the range starts at Php 936,000, all the way to Php 1,482,000.