Toyota Noah Hybrid Review

If transporting your family feels as difficult as squeezing every animal into an ark, this could be just the car you need.

It's called the Toyota Noah Hybrid, and to be clear, it isn't exactly a new car: There already are numerous examples from parallel importers plying our roads.

Highlight features in the cabin of the Toyota Noah Hybrid include automatic sliding rear doors and a separate air-conditioning control panel for the second and third-row passengers

Gathering the wood

But don't let that put you off purchasing your own. Now available for the first time from Toyota's official distributor Borneo Motors, this Noah Hybrid makes family trips just outright easy.

There's powered rear doors to start, so wrestling rebellious young ones into their seats is made just a bit easier. And the cabin floor here is just right so stepping in and out of the Toyota Noah is a minimal chore even if your knees are completely shot. Need to deploy or stow away the third row of seats? A few simple latches make the job one that demands neither brain nor brawn.

A set of latches makes folding up the third row seats an easy affair in this Toyota Noah Hybrid

And once everyone's belted up, there's also plenty of pleasant touches in the cabin of the Toyota Noah. There are air-conditioning vents for all rows (with the settings for the two rear rows adjustable via roof mounted controls), in-built sunshades within the rear sliding doors, and more than sufficient space even for a long drive if you leave only two in the third row.

And once you've arrived at your destination, exit for all is also easy. Simply push down the central cupholders and there's enough space for those in the third row to scoot through, but you still can slide the second-row seats forward if you'd like.

There's plenty of space for all if you stick to ferrying two in the third and second row of seats each

Braving the storm

Take the driver's seat and the Toyota Noah continues to please. The height and position of the steering wheel and pedals make a near upright seating position feel the most comfortable here - no bad thing given the comfy seats and sheer head room available.

Get going and you'll also find the Toyota Noah an easy thing to drive. You won't be found wanting for outward visibility thanks to the car's massive windows, while its boxy shape also makes estimating the car's extremities a no-brainer. Meanwhile, a feather-light steering should make all parking manoeuvres just outright easy. And the family man or woman will be pleased to note that the ride here is also delightfully pliant.

The Noah comes with an impressively efficient 1.8-litre hybrid drivetrain

Call for some urgent acceleration and the car's 1.8-litre hybrid drivetrain will emit quite an unpleasant drone, but with a total of 138bhp to deploy, you really won't have to keep that pedal depressed for long before you're at the 90km/h speed limit.

Our car managed an average fuel economy of 20.5km/L during our three days with it - not quite close to the 22.7km/L Toyota claims it can reach, but not too shabby a performance either when you consider that the car's brick-like silhouette isn't the best for carving through the air.

Looking to pair fuel efficiency with a practical cabin for the family? This Toyota Noah Hybrid will do nicely

Looking for dry land

I do have a few complaints, however. The car's 9.0-inch infotainment system doesn't do much - you'll be adjusting the settings of the safety systems or monitoring the hybrid system at work via the 4.2-inch display housed within the instrument cluster. Thankfully, it does offer wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so sync your phone up and never look back.

The feed from the car's reversing camera is also in desperate need of a bump to its resolution, and I think the addition of an electrically adjusting driver's seat would have gone some way to improve what is already a highly comfort-oriented space.

And there's the issue of price. At $252,888, this Toyota Noah Hybrid isn't quite as competitive next to the starting price of $234,800 for the Nissan Serena Hybrid (all prices as of 22 October 2025, inclusive of COE). The Nissan Serena Hybrid also comes with an arguably more modern infotainment unit and a more distinctive exterior design, but you will also note that we achieved a fuel economy figure of 15.8km/L when we had the car - a significantly weaker figure than the 20.5km/L we saw in this drive in the Toyota Noah.

But if, like the biblical figure, you foresee yourself partaking in more long journeys ahead, the greater efficiency of this Toyota Noah Hybrid should still prove handy. And thanks to this Noah's competent cabin, you won't have too much trouble loading everyone inside either.

Looking for an MPV? Be sure to also catch these reviews:

The Toyota Sienta Hybrid pairs refinement with an interesting design

There's also the Honda Freed, which is manoeuvrable and spacious

Or you might want to look at the stylish and practical Honda Freed