The new Toyota Hi Ace seats 12, 14 or even 15
TAKE your next family affair to new places with the all-new Toyota Hiace.
Launched just last February, the sixth generation Toyota Hiace was quite the reveal not only because of its impressive features but also because of the fact that it was launched first here in the country before anywhere else in the world. This global release only makes sense as the Philippines is the largest export market for the Hiace, outside of Japan.
At first glance, one will immediately notice the Hiace’s literal facelift—the nose—as the previous model had a flat front. Now with a front hood, the engine has a space for itself, instead of being underneath the floor of the front passengers.
There are three main variants of the Hiace to choose from, primarily differing in seating capacity: the 15-seater Commuter Deluxe, the 12-seater GL Grandia and the 14-seater GL Grandia Tourer. This flexible seating configuration makes the Hiace the perfect vehicle for big families, where they can choose a variant according to their needs.
All three variants come with a shift stick mounted on the dashboard. The GL Grandia variants also have a touchscreen display. Engine-wise, the Hiace is equipped with a 2.8 liter 1GD diesel engine and in either six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.
For the latest iteration of this popular family van, Toyota has made sure to improve on the safety front of the model. Aside from the anti-lock braking system (ABS) which has become a standard feature for most vehicles these days, the Hiace also has the dual airbags; however, with a nuance: For the Commuter Deluxe variant, there’s a center airbag for the passenger seated in the middle of the driver’s row—a minute yet significant touch.
The new Hiace comes in White Pearl, White Pearl Crystal Shine, Black Mica, and Silver Mica Metallic.
See the Hiace up close at Toyota’s Mabolo Cebu showroom located along Pope John Paul II Avenue, Cebu City.