The extremely competitive MPV segment throws up a veritable feast of choices. We pit the Xylo, the Evalia and the Innova against each other to see who comes out on top as the king of MPVs

For a long time now, Toyota’s Innova has been the go-to car in the premium multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) segment, but this year, with the arrival of Nissan’s Evalia and Mahindra’s Xylo getting some serious upgrades as well, this segment has been thrown wide open, seeing it transformed into an absolute three-way slugfest. We’re looking at what makes these cars the crème de la crème of the MPV segment, so that you can make an informed choice on which one to buy. 

Visual Appeal:

Straight off the bat, the Xylo has the kind of commanding presence, and a bucket-load of attitude to give with it that you either love or hate. I for one rate the Xylo’s aesthetics quite highly, but opinions may differ in this regard. The Innova is relatively simple looking; it has the kind of classic lines that are so native to the Toyota stable, and in typical Toyota tradition will be easy on the eye, but unremarkable too. You won’t find too many individuals who will swear by the design, but it won’t have too many detractors either. The Evalia is by far and away the least impressive looking of the three cars. The big, bulky van-like design does leave a lot to be desired in the looks department, but then again looks aren’t really the top priority with most prospective buyers of an MPV. Also Read: Nissan Evalia vs Toyota Innova Comparison

Handling & Ride Quality:

In terms of a comfortable ride and easy handling, you really can’t look past the Innova. Within the three of these highly capable MUVs, the Innova has obviously reaped the benefit of arriving on the scene first, but first-mover advantage isn’t the be-all-end-all of the story here. Toyota has hit the nail squarely on the head when it comes to overall ride quality and the handling package, making it not just an apt choice for the fleet market, but an obvious one for the family which desires a large sized people mover as well. The Evalia is treads the middle ground in terms of ride quality and how it handles, especially considering the stock LT-rated tyres shod on its 14-inch wheels, which would look more at home on light transport vehicles. But of course, a quick swap to standard road-car tyres should greatly enhance the overall driving experience. The Xylo feels slightly off in the ride and handling aspects when compared to the Innova and Evalia. The big Mahindra rolls quite a bit and the damping needs to be sorted out further. 

Space & seating capacity:

While the Xylo is the biggest car of the lot in terms of external dimensions, clever design work on Nissan’s part sees the Evalia win the category for most spacious. The distinct van-like silhouette does allow for plenty of room, with the Xylo close behind. In fact the Xylo could possibly squeeze in more people than the other two but comfortably or not is a different issue altogether. The Innova makes no bones about what it offers. While the there isn’t acres of space, the right packaging means if filled with the right amount of people, the Innova offers more than adequate space. Its only the third bench where the Innova cannot compete with the other two.