Toyota Vellfire
The uber-rich have a new mode to travel
Until about a year ago, if you wanted a luxury MPV, the best you could was the Toyota Innova Crysta. But since you’ve been accustomed to a certain lifestyle as the owner of a multi-crore business or as an actor or as a politician, something like an Innova will feel decidedly utilitarian. Over the last 12 months or so, there have been launches targeted at these buyers in the form of the Mercedes-Benz V-Class and the Kia Carnival and now, Toyota has decided to dive into this niche space with the Vellfire. The company says it is aimed at customers who are accustomed to a first-class lifestyle in their homes, their offices and while flying so it wants these discerning buyers to have a similar experience on the road too.
At 4,935mm long, 1,850mm wide and 1,895mm tall and sitting on a 3,000mm wheelbase, the Vellfire is quite generously proportioned. While it may look considerably larger than an Innova, the Vellfire is around 200mm longer and just 20mm
wider. In fact, the Vellfire is shorter and narrower than both the Kia Carnival and Mercedes-Benz V-Class. It is, however, taller than all three and also, arguably, has far greater road presence. Like the way it looks or no, the Vellfire will certainly turn heads thanks in part to that in-your-face nose dripping with chrome. There’s more bling all around with chrome finish, or “Hyper Chrome” as Toyota likes to call it, 17-inch alloy wheels, around the DLO and towards the rear. All that chrome somehow suits the car and also helps add some style to the side and the rear whose design seems to draw inspiration from a breadbox. Lighting, front and back, is a full LED affair complete with the in vogue sequential turn indicators.
Moving on to the more relevant bits, the Toyota Vellfire is all about the rear seat experience. It comes with two large loungers that can be adjusted electrically via buttons hidden under the armrest. Fore and aft movement, though, is manual. The seats get cooling and heating functions as well and there is a tray that pops out from under the armrest. Basically, it is exactly like the business class seats you would find in an aircraft. There are no individual screens on offer for both second-row passengers. Instead, there is a single 13-inch roof mounted screen that drops down using a remote and supports connectivity via HDMI and Wifi. What we find hard to digest though is the lack of electrically operated sun blinds for the windows and the manually operated sun shade for the moon roof, although the glass can be slid back and forth at the touch of a button. The moon roof for the front passengers is worse as it needs to be popped open manually! In a car likely to cost the better part of Rs 80 lakh ex-showroom! Speaking of the front seats, you chauffeur has plenty of kit to play with including ventilated, electrically adjustable seats with memory function, a 10-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. It also offers a 360-degree view of the car which comes in
VELLFIRE IS A GOOD ALTERNATIVE TO SUVS AND SEDANS AT THIS PRICE PAMPERING ITS OCCUPANTS LIKE NO OTHER
handy while manoeuvring a vehicle this big. The driver also gets buttons to control both electrically operated sliding doors. The Vellfire comes with a three-zone climate control with individual temperature settings for the front two occupants and a dedicated zone for the rear.
Toyota is offering the Vellfire in just one seating configuration that can seat a maximum of seven passengers with three in the last row. Speaking of the last row, getting in and out is fairly straightforward. And the split seats and can be folded away but all that has to be done manually too. There is ample space for two and it is easily one of the most comfortable third rows we’ve encountered.
The boot opening is manual but it can be shut electrically at the touch of a button.
The Toyota Vellfire is available with a Hybrid powertrain. A 2.5-litre petrol engine with a power output of 115bhp and peak torque of 198Nm pairs with two electric motors with the one in the front producing 105kW (141bhp) and the one in the rear churning out 50kW (67bhp). This dual motor setup gives the Vellfire all wheel drive capability, although for the most part it is only the front wheels that are fed power. Transmission duties are handled by a CVT, which boasts D or Drive and S or Sport modes. A hybrid drivetrain has also helped the Vellfire post a very respectable fuel ef
ficiency figure of 16.35kmpl. On the go, the Vellfire feels nice and comfortable, more so sitting in the rear seat. The NVH levels are excellent as the car manages to isolate its occupants from the outside world rather well. Our time behind the wheel of the Vellfire was quite limited and our running was solely on the flawless tarmac of Toyota’s test track so it was tough to judge handling and ride quality. However, what we could gather was that the steering is light, which combined with the commanding driving position, makes it easier to handle the Vellfire than its size would lead you to believe.
Sure, you can buy two range-topping Kia Carnivals for the price, but it can’t match the Vellfire in terms of second-row comfort. On the other end of the spectrum, there is the Mercedes-Benz VClass Elite but at Rs 1.10 crore (ex-showroom), it is considerably more expensive.