The MPV segment in the country has just welcomed a new remember in the form of the Toyota Innova Hycross. While it's a very promising vehicle, one cannot overlook the fact that the Kia Carnival too is a very premium offering in the segment. Let's take a look at how these 2 MPVs compete against each other on paper.
The Toyota Innova Hycross is still recognizable as an Innova but with quite a bit more of an SUV-like theme. It sits 4,755mm long, 1,850mm wide and 1,795mm tall. While the Kia Carnival is 5115mm long, 1985mm wide and 1755mm tall.
The bodywork of the Innova Hycross sees more creases than before along the sides and on the bonnet, although the functional boxy shape and large glass area continue in a more refined, again SUV-themed manner with the large 18-inch wheel. The flat MPV-style boot lid has been replaced with again more SUV-like design cues like the slated windscreen and beefed-up bumpers, the two-part taillamps are now very similar to Toyota's other SUVs.
The Kia Carnival has body-coloured bumpers, sleek LED headlights, ice cube LED fog lamps, shark fin antennas, and other features. It also has the company's characteristic tiger-nose grille with chrome inserts.
The Hycross uses a 2.0-litre Atkinson cycle petrol motor that puts out 154PS and 190 Nm that pairs with a 113PS and 206 Nm electric motor with an e-CVT in the mix for a combined 186PS. The Innova Hycross will be a petrol-only offering for the first time now and lower-spec models could get a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol with 174PS and 202 Nm, again paired with a CVT.
The Kai Carnival will continue to feature the 2.2-litre CRDi diesel motor that makes 200PS and 440 Nm of torque and will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
The Innova Hycross' interior looks like a more contemporary space with a flat horizontal design, a large free-standing 10-inch touchscreen with a slim panel to AC control and a dash-mounted gear lever. The instrument cluster is new too with a new 7-inch MID as is the steering wheel. The interior is done up in a brown and black colour theme with silver highlights.
There are seven and eight-seater seating configurations with the second-row seats being available with leg rests. The third-row space has also been enhanced. The features list has been significantly enhanced with a panoramic sunroof, cooled seats, powered driver's seat, ambient light, electronic parking brake, wireless charging, four USB C-ports, second-row climate control, auto-hold, electronic parking brake, connected tech, rear sun shades and drive modes. The Toyota Safety Sense ADAS functions have been added.
Over and beyond the Prestige trim, the all-new Limousine variant of the redesigned Kia Carnival comes with a slew of premium amenities. Luxury 2nd row VIP seats, premium Nappa leather, a 10.1-inch dual touchscreen rear-seat entertainment system, a smart pure air purifier and a smart power tailgate are some of the new additional features.
The fully equipped Limousine Plus variant hosts additional features like Harman Kardon premium 8-speaker sound system, electronic parking brake, 10-way power driver seat, driver seat ventilation, leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, premium wood garnish and Highline TPMS.
The Kia Carnival now comes standard with 18-inch Crystal Cut Alloy Wheels on all trim levels, emphasising the vehicle's commanding appearance. Prestige, Limousine, and Limousine+ will now have Premium Leatherette Seats (with VIP Seats). The bolsters of the redesigned Carnival's VIP seats have exquisite diamond-shaped quilting, which provides more support, comfort, and enhances the overall appearance.
highlights
BJP stands exposed of personal vendetta and political terror, Patel tweets.
A confident P Chidambaram backs Congress party's resilience
There appears no sight to the drama in the Gujarat Rajya Sabha polls. The BJP is reportedly not allowing the counting of votes to take place. It has asked Election Commission to address its complaint over the issue of privacy of votes, reports CNN-News18. Remember, a battery of BJP leaders including Union Ministers Arun Jaitley, Nirmala Sitharaman, RS Prasad and Piyush Goyal had arrived at the EC headquarters on Tuesday evening.
Ahmed Patel thanks Congress leaders who backed him.
RECAP
To bring you up to speed on the developments in the evening, counting for the Rajya Sabha polls will end soon. The EC has disqualified the votes cast by two rebel Congress MLAs on the ground that they had showed ballot papers to BJP's Amit Shah.
Earlier in the evening, Congress had alleged that rebel MLAs had flashed their ballot papers to BJP President Amit Shah. Thereafter, the party approached the Election Commission and the counting of votes, which was to start at 5 pm, was put on hold.
Remember Congress leader Ahmed Patel needs 45 votes to make it to the Rajya Sabha. Reports indicate that he got 43 votes from Congress and one each from the NCP and JD(U).
The battleground then moved from Rajya Sabha to Election Commission which disqualified votes cast by two rebel Congress MLAs.
BJP legislator Nalin Kotadiya admits to crossvoting for the Congress.
The cliffhanger doesn't end at EC disqualification. BJP MLA Nalin Kotadiya says he voted for Congress nominee Ahmed Patel, in a Facebook post. This is likely to tilt the scales in favour of Patel.
Celebrations after EC disqualification of 2 rebel MLA votes.
The wait on the Election Commission verdict has ended. Big setback for the BJP. The EC has disqualified the votes cast by two rebel Congress MLAs, reports CNN-News18.
CNN-News18 reports that Election Commission officials have reviewed the video and that the counting will be completed tonight. No word yet on the decision over the validity of votes cast by two MLAs.
Surjewala says that Congress has communicated its grievances to the EC in writing and has given evidence to support their claim.
Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala and RPN Singh are addressing the media outside the Election Commission. He says the party wants cancellation of two votes. There is a legal ground for quashing of votes, he adds. The party has expressed its concerns and raised a complaint with EC, says Singh.
The sole JD(U) legislator has confirmed to News18 that he voted for Ahmed Patel.
Congress' Gujarat in-charge Ashok Gehlot admits that one party MLA cross-voted, but insists that Ahmed Patel will still win.
CNN-News18 reports that Congress legislator Karamsinh Makwana has cross-voted.
Some more bad news for the Congress. Senior party leader Arjun Modhwadia says that two party legislators who were part of the group that was shipped off to the Bengaluru resort have defied party orders and voted for the BJP candidate.
Shankersinh Vaghela, who resigned as Leader of Opposition and quit the Congress a fortnight ago, says he will not vote for Ahmed Patel. This is important given that his loyalists may also follow suit.
Voting has begun in the state Assemblies.
That's a wrap on the high-stakes Rajya Sabha elections. Thanks for staying tuned. Follow moneycontrol.com for news, views and updates.
SUMMARY
* Congress' Ahmed Patel wins Rajya Sabha seat from Gujarat
* Patel received 44 votes, the exact number needed to win the election
* In late-night drama, Election Commission disqualified votes of two Congress rebels
* Amit Shah and Smriti Irani also elected to Rajya Sabha
In all, 11 Rajya Sabha members — one from Goa, one from Madhya Pradesh, six from West Bengal and three from Gujarat — were elected.
FULL REPORT | Rajya Sabha elections: Here who's got elected and re-elected
Why Patel's win matters: A defeat could have meant more trouble for the Congress.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also congratulated Ahmed Patel on his victory.
"How much more evidence do we require to understand that we opposition parties are up against a ruthless, finely tuned BJP political machine," Abdullah said.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has said that Congress leader Ahmed Patel's win in the Gujarat Rajya Sabha polls "should have never been this difficult" and the opposition needs to introspect and shift strategy to counter the BJP in the 2019 general elections.
Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath says the party has always fought back.
Amit Shah is choosing to focus on the third anniversary of his tenure as BJP President, thanking his followers his Twitter for their wishes. He has not yet commented on his Rajya Sabha victory or the BJP candidate's defeat to Ahmed Patel.
There is no confirmation from the BJP yet over whether they will approach the courts over the EC's decision to disallow two votes.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi says she is very happy with Ahmed Patel's victory. "Thank god for the Election Commission," she says.
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad says the defeat is a lesson for the BJP and they are free to approach any court.
Kailash Vijayvargiya puts things in perspective. "We have won two seats and Congress only one [in Gujarat], no question of disappointment," the BJP leader tells News18.
JD(U) legislator Chhotubhai Vasava is also believed to have voted for Ahmed Patel, defying the party whip.
JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav has congratulated Ahmed Patel on his Rajya Sabha victory. The JD(U) is now part of the NDA, but Yadav has been against the idea.
Meanwhile, six leaders were elected to the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal on Wednesday. Five of them were from the Trinamool Congress -Derek O'Brien, Dola Sen, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Manas Bhunia, Shanta Chhetri. Pradip Bhattachya of the Congress was also elected to the Upper House.
Meanwhile, there's been no official reaction from Amit Shah on either his victory or BJP's defeat to Ahmed Patel. He completes three years as BJP President today.
Meanwhile, there's been no official reaction from Amit Shah on either his victory or BJP's defeat to Ahmed Patel. He completes three years as BJP President today.
There is speculation that the BJP may approach the courts regarding the Election Commission's decision to disqualify the two votes. We should get some clairty as the day progresses.
In the end, it was two disqualified votes that helped take Ahmed Patel over the line. Here's a recap.
SUMMARY
*Congress' Ahmed Patel wins Rajya Sabha seat from Gujarat
* Patel received 44 votes, the exact number needed to win election
* In late-night drama, Election Commission disqualified votes of two Congress rebels
* Amit Shah and Smriti Irani also elected to Rajya Sabha
Ahmed Patel has gone from a low-profile politician to the centre of attention in the past month. Here's a short history of Patel's career.
Why does Patel's win matter so much? Read our report.
After late-night drama that saw Ahmed Patel retain his seat, we can expect to see reactions pour in through the day.
That's all from the Rajya Sabha election for now. Log on to www. moneycontrol.com for coverage of the Rajya Sabha elections during the day. Thanks for staying tuned.