Toyota Vellfire Luxury MPV: 10 Things that makes it Unique!

Toyota has recently ventured in a very unexplored territory of Luxury MPVs of India. We are talking about the Vellfire Premium MPV. For starters, the Toyota Vellfire is not at all cheap and is priced at Rs 79.50 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Toyota has pitched the Vellfire directly against its one and only rival; The Mercedes Benz V Class.

However, the Vellfire is a tad bit more expensive than the entry-level Mercedes Benz V Class in India. The Vellfire will be brought in India as a CBU (Completely Built-up Unit) with only one variant on sale (called the “Executive Lounge”) and interestingly Toyota has reported that the MPV has been sold out for 3 months!

The luxury MPV market in India has seen a significant bump in the last few years and manufacturers like Toyota, Kia and Mercedes Benz are already pooling in. In this article, we compile the 10 things that make the Toyota Vellfire MPV unique in its own way.

1. It’s BIG!

   The Toyota Vellfire isn’t your average Innova MPV. The Vellfire spans a length of 4,945 mm, a width of 1,850mm, a height of 1,895mm with a 3,000mm long wheelbase.

   

   Toyota Vellfire	Dimensions
   Length	4,945mm
   Width	1,850mm
   Height	1,895mm
   Wheelbase	3,000mm

   For context and comparison, the Vellfire is 210mm longer, 20mm wider and 100mm taller than Toyota’s very own Innova MPV, which all said and done is a big car. The Vellfire also has a 250 mm longer wheelbase, as compared to the Innova.

   The Vellfire is an absolutely humongous MPV spanning a length of 5 meters and a wheelbase of 3 meters which is just 450mm short of the full length of a Maruti Suzuki Alto.

   The Toyota Vellfire is essentially based on the Toyota Alphard. The Vellfire gets a few aesthetic upgrades and additional length, about 10 mm.

2. Spacious (and luxurious) Interiors

   

   The Vellfire MPV, thanks to its huge dimensions is very spacious on the inside. Toyota has made it clear with the plush 2nd-row captain seats, that the MPV is strictly for ferrying a couple of VIPs with the last row acting as an auxiliary. The 3rd row can be moved ahead and lifted up (just like the Toyota Innova) to accommodate for luggage. It is to be noted that, with all the three rows in function, the Vellfire never feels cramped in any aspect be it legroom, headroom, lumbar support or other.

3. Feature-Loaded

   

   The Vellfire is offered in a single variant and India, and Toyota has made sure that the car doesn’t misses-out on any features. The luxury MPV gets three-zone climate control, for all three rows of seating, mood and ambient lighting, electric sliding doors, individual fold-out tray tables, two sunroofs and what not!. For your chauffeur, the Vellfire offers a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system (With Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, of course!).

4. Four-Wheel Drive Hybrid

   

   Toyota is offering a petrol-hybrid powertrain for the Vellfire MPV. The Vellfire MPV gets a 2.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine (115bhp and 198Nm of torque) with two electric motors; a 105kW (140bhp)for the front and a and 50kW (67bhp) for the rear. The Vellfire also get a hybrid AWD (All-Wheel-Drive) technology. For the transmission, the Vellfire MPV uses an e-CVT (Electronic Continuously Variable Transmission) with the primary drive going to the front wheels.

5. It’s a CBU

   The Toyota Vellfire MPV takes advantage of the new homologation rule set by the government which allows the manufacturers to import as many as 2,500 vehicles from international markets without having to get it homologated again in India. This enabled Toyota to experiment and bring models like the Vellfire into the Indian market without having to invest a huge amount for the process of getting it certified. Toyota would be seen taking advantage of this rule and would import around 200 Vellfire models as CBUs in the Indian market.

6. It’s Safe too

   

   In terms of safety, the Vellfire MPV gets parking assist alert (front and rear sonars), panoramic view monitor, up to 7 airbags, vehicle stability control, hill start assist control, brake hold, ABS, EBD, BA, TPMS and vehicle dynamic integrated management.

7. Tried & Tested Engine

   

   Powering the Toyota Vellfire is a Lexus NS300H-sourced 2.5-litre petrol-hybrid engine which churns out 197 hp and 210 Nm of torque. The engine comes mated to a 7-speed e-CVT (continuously variable transmission). This is the same engine that did duty on the previous generation Camry (not the TNGA one) and is known for its supreme refinement and reliability.

8. Quite a Looker

   

   The Toyota Alphard looks “nothing like anything”. On the exterior, the car features LED headlights and tail lamps with a twin-electric moon-roofs and electric sliding doors and tailgates.

   In the official teaser shared by Toyota previously, the MPV has been given the tag of “Sustainable Luxury” and the teaser image also reveals that the luxury MPV from Toyota upholds a more curvy silhouette other than its rivals.

   The Vellfire gets flared wheel arches for character and rides on stylish 17-inch alloy wheels with a dash of chrome.

9. The 2nd Row

   

   The Toyota Vellfire comes with three rows of seating space. However, the second row is where the magic happens. The car gets two exclusive captain chairs in the middle row. These seats come with a plethora of adjustment options, allowing the occupants to recline, move forward and back, adjust the lumbar, thigh and leg support all with the twist of a button.

   Moreover, the chairs will also have a fold-out table, memory and ventilation functions and much more. The list is endless.

10. Pricing and Rivals

    The Toyota Vellfire comes in a single variant and prices for the luxurious MPV is at Rs. 79.50 lakh (ex-showroom). This puts the Vellfire directly against the Mercedes-Benz V Class which starts at 68.4 lakh all the way tp to Rs 81.9 lakh (ex-showroom).

    Other competitors for the Vellfire are the Kia Carnival and the MG G10 which are priced way modest than the Toyota MPV.