The Toyota Vellfire is aimed to rival the Mercedes-Benz V-Class and it is as luxurious as some other premium limousines in India, only in the form of an MPV. Here’s a detailed look at what’s it about.
For a long time, almost no manufacturer had been paying attention to the MPV segment in India. Now however, we are suddenly seeing growing options in this segment in India, particularly the luxury category. Mercedes-Benz launched the V-Class last year in India and extended their portfolio with the Marco Polo edition at the Auto Expo. Kia has the Carnival at the lower end of the luxury MPV spectrum. Amidst all this, Toyota will soon be launching the Vellfire in India and here’s everything you need to know about it.
What does it look like?
The Toyota Vellfire is unmistakably an MPV and certainly with a lots of bling. The design is completely boxy and there are no two ways about it. It isn’t the largest in the segment as the Kia Carnival is actually bigger the Vellfire in terms of dimensions. However, your eye will certainly not miss this on the road.
The face is dominated by abundant amounts of chrome on a multi-layered grille which Toyota says has been inspired by a ‘samurai armour’. Keeping up with the times, the Vellfire gets a split headlamp design and that too is no less bling. In profile, the Vellfire is relatively simple but there’s still some chrome along the window line. The window line itself is quite unique. At the rear, the styling is again loud with huge tail lamp clusters and a chunky chrome bar running the width of the tail gate. Whether you love or hate the styling, it will still have your attention.
Is the cabin really luxurious like a premium limousine?
Stepping inside the Vellfire, we definitely have to talk about the middle row experience. It would be wrong to say that the Vellfire has seats in the middle row. They are literally couches that you have your living room. And boy, are they comfortable! They come with multiple powered adjustments and even get extended leg supports. The seats are ventilated and cooled but it would have been nicer to see a massage function, something that’s pretty standard with luxury limousines.
As said earlier, the seats are literally couches and get arm rests on both sides. Under the armrest, there’s a hidden panel of buttons which control your seats and there’s also a remote to control your in-car entertainment system via a 13-inch display with HDMI and Wifi support. Further, you also get private screens and fold-out tray tables with your seats. There is also enough leather and wood inserts all around, if that is what really defines luxury for you.
Toyota claims the Vellfire to be a 7-seater but we say its best as a 6-seater. The third row is by no means cramped but it would be plenty comfortable for two people. Also, the front passenger seat also get powered adjustments and even gets extended thigh support. Talking about the front, the dashboard is well laid out and continuing from the outside, gets chrome inserts along a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system that comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also generous use of wood on the dashboard and below the touchscreen, there are two stacks of buttons for the climate controls and other vehicle functions. Thank god, Toyota didn’t choose a touchscreen here again.
Among other features, the Toyota Vellfire gets powered seats with memory function, one touch for panoramic view and seats, chauffeur controls, power sliding doors, and a dual sunroof, a 17-speaker audio JBL system, parking assist, 7 airbags, 3-Zone climate controls, 16 colour roof ambient lighting, green tinted and acoustic glass, hill start assist, TPMS, , VIP spotlight and dedicated cubicles for your smartphone, cup-holders along with your seats, and a whole lot more.
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What powers the Toyota Vellfire?
The Toyota Vellfire is powered by a petrol-hybrid powertrain. There’s a 2.5 liter, four-cylinder petrol engine which produces 115PS of power and 198Nm of peak torque. Further, there are two electric motors, on the front and rear axles, each. The motor at the front is capable of producing 142PS while the one at the rear is good enough for 68PS. In fact, under most conditions, you would be driving in electric power alone.
The Vellfire is basically a self charging hybrid vehicle which runs on different driving modes. The powertrain on default runs on battery with a 60:40 split between electric and internal combustion engine. It switches over to the IC engine when the battery runs out. In the meantime, the excess energy from the engine and brake regeneration replenishes the battery. The battery in question is made of Nickel Metal Hydride while the power is sent to all four wheels through an electronic 4WD system. Toyota claims an efficiency figure of 16.35kmpl which is really impressive considering the Vellfire weighs 2280kg and can seat 7 people in utter luxury.
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When is it launching and how much will it cost?
Toyota has announced that they will be launching the Vellfire in India on February 26. It will be available in four colors in India – Burning White, pearl white, graphite and black – and two interior color options – beige and black. We expect the Vellfire to be priced around Rs 80 lakhs (ex-showroom) and it should cost around Rs 1 crore on-road. At this price, the Vellfire is directly meant to take on the Mercedes-Benz V-Class. Toyota has homologated the Vellfire in India and the MPV is being imported as CBU from Japan.
