And you wouldn’t argue with that. The Toyota Alphard literally dwarfs everything in its path – from the common Toyota Crown taxi to miniscule er, MINIs. And like all ignorant people alike, they wouldn’t know that it isn’t a new phenomenon.
Toyota’s Luxury MPVs have been around since 1992. They catered to the Japanese domestic market, although some of them popped up at random in Singapore and Malaysia.
Little do you know that this mini-van derives its name from the brightest star in the Hydra constellation — the Alphard.
Predictably, the Alphard goes head-on with the Honda Elysion and Nissan Elgrand, of which offer similar levels of equipment.
As part of a 2005 facelift, the Alphard was given a newly designed rear lamp and 16 and 17 inch aluminium alloy wheels. This was also the year that Toyota released the Alphard Hybrid Model.
A redesign of the Alphard in April 2008 included a more sophisticated exterior style and a more luxurious inside, all in an effort to further update and strengthen Toyota’s best-selling position in the above mentioned markets.
And this brings us to another point. Unlike the majority of snooty western countries and their automotive culture, the Japanese take their mini-vans very seriously.
Toyota’s Luxury MPVs have been around since 1992. They catered to the Japanese domestic market, although some of them popped up at random in Singapore and Malaysia.
Little do you know that this mini-van derives its name from the brightest star in the Hydra constellation — the Alphard.
Predictably, the Alphard goes head-on with the Honda Elysion and Nissan Elgrand, of which offer similar levels of equipment.
As part of a 2005 facelift, the Alphard was given a newly designed rear lamp and 16 and 17 inch aluminium alloy wheels. This was also the year that Toyota released the Alphard Hybrid Model.
A redesign of the Alphard in April 2008 included a more sophisticated exterior style and a more luxurious inside, all in an effort to further update and strengthen Toyota’s best-selling position in the above mentioned markets.
And this brings us to another point. Unlike the majority of snooty western countries and their automotive culture, the Japanese take their mini-vans very seriously.
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Think about it – there’s tons of headroom along with the factory installed features, 100% contortion-free entry and exit routes for drunk, party-hardy Hollywood-wannabes who can afford that poor designated driver on duty on a Friday night.
And this sub-culture seems to be catching on in Singapore. If you’re on the roads often enough, you’d probably spot a “blinged” Alphard that has rolled-up fenders and 21-inch chromed wheels, ten or more LCD screens encompassing each seat and passenger, lots of LED interior lighting, a smashing in-car-entertainment system, as well as the obligatory white boa-feathers on the dashboard. Let’s not forget the popular Japanese “VIP-bling-bling” brands that go along with it like “DAD.”
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How about the Vellfire?
And if you’re well-read and informed, you’ll probably notice a similar offering to the Alphard that’s been roaming Singaporean streets over these few months. It’s called the Vellfire – the Alphard’s significant twin. So while Toyota feels that there should be more than enough room in this “rarefied” for two grandiose people movers, surely this doesn’t make sense to the segment that it interests, right?
So while the Vellfire is completely identical mechanically, Toyota differentiates it from the Alphard by giving it a rather evil-sounding name. Short for velvet and fire combined, it is not the car you turn to when you want “elegance and refinement.” That’s the Alphard’s job.
The other one’s for those looking for “power and innovation.” Again, the difference between these two? The advertisements and car-trailers. That’s it. Try airy, magical textures showered in white light and classical music, versus helicopters chasing a caravan driven in military precision to some industrial rock soundtrack. Ah, the power of marketing…
Alphard to the task
Assuming both are the same, buyers now have the option of buying directly from Toyota instead of through the parallel importers.
As if it couldn’t get larger, the Alphard’s wheelbase has grown by 50 mm to 2,950 mm. That’s the same as the Nissan Elgrand, and we’re not even going to try telling you how big these car’s interiors are.
But we can tell you one thing the Alphard does not have that the Nissan accomplishes – it has less power outlets and its seats do not rotate so that the front and back row passengers face each other.
And if you’re well-read and informed, you’ll probably notice a similar offering to the Alphard that’s been roaming Singaporean streets over these few months. It’s called the Vellfire – the Alphard’s significant twin. So while Toyota feels that there should be more than enough room in this “rarefied” for two grandiose people movers, surely this doesn’t make sense to the segment that it interests, right?
So while the Vellfire is completely identical mechanically, Toyota differentiates it from the Alphard by giving it a rather evil-sounding name. Short for velvet and fire combined, it is not the car you turn to when you want “elegance and refinement.” That’s the Alphard’s job.
The other one’s for those looking for “power and innovation.” Again, the difference between these two? The advertisements and car-trailers. That’s it. Try airy, magical textures showered in white light and classical music, versus helicopters chasing a caravan driven in military precision to some industrial rock soundtrack. Ah, the power of marketing…
Alphard to the task
Assuming both are the same, buyers now have the option of buying directly from Toyota instead of through the parallel importers.
As if it couldn’t get larger, the Alphard’s wheelbase has grown by 50 mm to 2,950 mm. That’s the same as the Nissan Elgrand, and we’re not even going to try telling you how big these car’s interiors are.
But we can tell you one thing the Alphard does not have that the Nissan accomplishes – it has less power outlets and its seats do not rotate so that the front and back row passengers face each other.
But if you don’t take issue with this, or the further lack of the Elgrand’s motorised tailgate, you’ll find that the Toyota has a few tricks of its own.
Standard items from Borneo motors include two motorized doors that automatically slide open and close on both sides. They work via the remote-fob for the car’s alarm/immobilizer.
Driving Impressions
The Alphard was one of the very few cars that did not have me fussing around for that sweet-spot in driving position.
Although there wasn’t much adjustability out of your normal Corolla and Camry, the height of the dashboard, seats, and steering reach all came into perfect alignment with at least two different drivers of varying heights and preferences.
The front passenger’s chair, as well as the middle row seats, can be fully reclined, and come with proper, foldable leg-rests that actually support your lower body better than those in economy-class.
The second-row seats slide forward, backwards and sideways, and while the backmost row of seats can be folded away, the entire passenger seating compartment can be arranged such that one has a flat space for “various in-car activities” such as “sleeping.” We’ll leave the rest to your imagination.
It accommodates seven for an unbelievably comfortable drive to Thailand. If you’re into the whole deal of chauffeuring APEC delegates, then the four or five will also find more than enough room to do more than vibrate about their fixed positions.
Standard items from Borneo motors include two motorized doors that automatically slide open and close on both sides. They work via the remote-fob for the car’s alarm/immobilizer.
Driving Impressions
The Alphard was one of the very few cars that did not have me fussing around for that sweet-spot in driving position.
Although there wasn’t much adjustability out of your normal Corolla and Camry, the height of the dashboard, seats, and steering reach all came into perfect alignment with at least two different drivers of varying heights and preferences.
The front passenger’s chair, as well as the middle row seats, can be fully reclined, and come with proper, foldable leg-rests that actually support your lower body better than those in economy-class.
The second-row seats slide forward, backwards and sideways, and while the backmost row of seats can be folded away, the entire passenger seating compartment can be arranged such that one has a flat space for “various in-car activities” such as “sleeping.” We’ll leave the rest to your imagination.
It accommodates seven for an unbelievably comfortable drive to Thailand. If you’re into the whole deal of chauffeuring APEC delegates, then the four or five will also find more than enough room to do more than vibrate about their fixed positions.
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Normally, Toyota’s Alphards come in two engine and transmission choices - a 2AZ-FE 2.4-litre DOHC VVT-i inline-4 engine mated to a Super CVT-i stepless gearbox, and a 2GR-FE 3.5-liter V6 engine with a 6-speed Super ECT transmission that can also be found in the latest Lexus RX350.
For now, it’s safe to say that Toyota’s official distributor will only bring in the 2.4-litre option mated to the continuously variable choice of transmission. And if you look at what the Alphard’s paper specifications have on offer, you’ll be mildly disappointed at its heavy kerb weight of nearly two tons, or between 1920-1980 kg to be exact.
However, both power and torque figures look rather encouraging. The 2,392 cc four-banger generates at 170 bhp at 6,000 rpm, while torque is 224 Nm at 4,000 rpm. That’s an efficient number for a naturally aspirated engine of its size.
And when paired with the continuously variable transmission in the body of the Alphard, we were surprised at what it could do. The Super CVT was privy to holding the revs at 4,000 rpm under medium to hard starts off the lights, and we actually clocked a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 12.7 seconds. 0-80 km/h worked out to be even better at 9.7 seconds, so it really isn’t a slouch in any context.
You’ve probably come to reconcile with Toyota’s plush ride qualities by now, as was the case with the Camry, courtesy of those in-house Lexus engineers.
For now, it’s safe to say that Toyota’s official distributor will only bring in the 2.4-litre option mated to the continuously variable choice of transmission. And if you look at what the Alphard’s paper specifications have on offer, you’ll be mildly disappointed at its heavy kerb weight of nearly two tons, or between 1920-1980 kg to be exact.
However, both power and torque figures look rather encouraging. The 2,392 cc four-banger generates at 170 bhp at 6,000 rpm, while torque is 224 Nm at 4,000 rpm. That’s an efficient number for a naturally aspirated engine of its size.
And when paired with the continuously variable transmission in the body of the Alphard, we were surprised at what it could do. The Super CVT was privy to holding the revs at 4,000 rpm under medium to hard starts off the lights, and we actually clocked a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 12.7 seconds. 0-80 km/h worked out to be even better at 9.7 seconds, so it really isn’t a slouch in any context.
You’ve probably come to reconcile with Toyota’s plush ride qualities by now, as was the case with the Camry, courtesy of those in-house Lexus engineers.
Safe to say, the Alphard is bang-on with the same kind of quality and refinement one might expect from an entry-level Lexus.
Wind and road noise remains absent all the way past the high 100s in terms of km/h, while the only downside we observed would have been the short-ish stroke of the suspension. You’ll have to go over humps slowly in order to not bottom out the Alphard’s soft set of shocks. Having said that, its handling qualities still out-number that of the Elgrand, and you are able to pull a decent, tyre screeching corner when your guests feel like they’re about to miss their flight.
Alphardly relevant?
If you’ve never sat in or driven one of these before, you’re probably wondering, why you should pay almost $143,000 for one of these, just to be labelled a mini-van driver, when the Toyota ia can be had for almost $20,000 less. But if you have to ask, we’ll advise you to educate yourself on the “finer points of luxury mini-van culture” before you even dare to think of the above.
The Toyota Alphard definitely is a world of difference above your normal crowd of MPVs. Its sheer size, and ability of ease when peering beyond the car in front of you during traffic jams, as well as feeling of being able to see eye-to-eye with that SBS bus driver next to you while dwarfing every other passenger vehicle on the road is peculiarly satisfying. Even when you don’t buy it for business purposes. Alphard male indeed.
Wind and road noise remains absent all the way past the high 100s in terms of km/h, while the only downside we observed would have been the short-ish stroke of the suspension. You’ll have to go over humps slowly in order to not bottom out the Alphard’s soft set of shocks. Having said that, its handling qualities still out-number that of the Elgrand, and you are able to pull a decent, tyre screeching corner when your guests feel like they’re about to miss their flight.
Alphardly relevant?
If you’ve never sat in or driven one of these before, you’re probably wondering, why you should pay almost $143,000 for one of these, just to be labelled a mini-van driver, when the Toyota ia can be had for almost $20,000 less. But if you have to ask, we’ll advise you to educate yourself on the “finer points of luxury mini-van culture” before you even dare to think of the above.
The Toyota Alphard definitely is a world of difference above your normal crowd of MPVs. Its sheer size, and ability of ease when peering beyond the car in front of you during traffic jams, as well as feeling of being able to see eye-to-eye with that SBS bus driver next to you while dwarfing every other passenger vehicle on the road is peculiarly satisfying. Even when you don’t buy it for business purposes. Alphard male indeed.
