BH CORRESPONDENT, Hyderabad: As part of its pre-launch awareness campaign, Toyota Kirloskar Motors has been highlighting the Vellfire MPV with a hashtag on social media that read ‘Sustainable Luxury’. And on Wednesday, the luxuriously-appointed MPV had its official launch. The CBU model for India is actually the second generation Vellfire which has undergone significant tech and packaging upgrades.
The MPV is 4,935mm long, 1,850mm wide, 1.859mm tall on a wheelbase of 3,000mm. Usually, bling factor is absent in MPVs, but the Vellfire changes all that. Angular in appearance with an upright nose, there’s a dominant chrome-laden grille, thin split-LED headlamps. The MPV rides on 17-inch chrome alloy wheels. At the rear, the clear lens split-LED tail lamps connected by a thick chrome strip. Apart from oversized bumpers, there’s quite a lot of chrome around.
The cabin of the MPV has been designed with business class ambience with genuine leather upholstery, second row power reclining captain seats with tables and armrests, three zone air-conditioning, two moon roofs, one-touch power slide side doors among many other features that are usually found in luxury vehicles. The carry will ferry 5-6 occupants (excluding driver) in lavish comfort.
Connectivity feature package includes Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, both LCD screens boast of Miracast app, which helps in mirroring the users’ phone’s screen.
The MPV is powered by 2.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol-hybrid engine that offers 115bhp and a max torque of 198 Nm @2,800-4,000 rpm. Two electric motors and a hybrid battery pack are part of the powertrain set-up. With the electric motors chipping in, peak power output goes up to 197hp while torque reaches 235 Nm. Power to wheels is channeled by a close-step Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).
The technology hardware package which allows the self-charging hybrid to lower CO2 emissions also ensures that the 2,815kg MPV is able to return a fuel efficiency of 16.35km/l. Toyota calls it Hybrid Synergy Drive which is also available in the Camry saloon and Lexus models. The second 50kW motor for the rear axle drives the rear wheels only when required, making it a smart electric 4WD system on demand.
Created under Toyota’s new development framework, the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), the unibody Vellfire is mechanically based on Toyota’s MC platform. And to give the van car-like handling, the Vellfire gets McPherson struts in the front and uses a double-wishbone rear suspension system (as opposed to torsion beam set up).
Safety is a key consideration and for the pricing the active and passive kit is pretty comprehensive and includes 7 SRS Airbags, VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management), HAC (Hill-start Assist Control) & VSC (Vehicle Stability Control), Electronic Parking Brake with auto brake hold.
The Vellfire will be offered in exterior colours – Burning Black, White Pearl, Graphite and Black. Two interior colours- Flaxen (Beige) & Black can be ordered. The MPV is priced at Rs 79.50 L ex-showroom.
