Dear bosses, after an 8-year long run of the second generation Toyota Alphard and Vellfire, an all-new generation of the luxury MPV twins is finally here. Presenting you the 2023 Toyota Alphard and Vellfire, which have just made their global debut in Japan today.
For starters, the all-new third-generation Toyota Alphard is offered in three variants, namely the Z, Executive Lounge, and Welcab. The sportier Vellfire, on the other hand, is available in two variants – Z Premier and Executive Lounge.
The two luxury MPVs are built upon the GA-K version of Toyota’s TNGA platform, which the Japanese carmaker says is optimised for MPV use. This optimisation is said to improve the cars’ rigidity by 50% as compared to the third-generation models, as well as provide better manoeuvrability and stability.
Underpinned by a 3,000 mm long wheelbase, the luxury Toyota MPV twins measures 4,995 mm long, and 1,850 mm wide. Depending on the model and variant chosen, height is measured at 1,935 mm or 1,945 mm tall.
The Alphard and Vellfire have also been designed to conform to the size constraints of the standard automated parking system, which limits the car’s dimensions to a maximum of 5,000 mm long and 1,850 mm wide. Suspension-wise, Toyota has fitted the Alphard and Vellfire with MacPherson struts at the front and an updated double wishbone setup at the rear. The suspensions are also said to be tuned to deliver a more fun driving experience.
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On the outside, Toyota says that it has made an effort in differentiating the Alphard and Vellfire even more clearly this time around. Despite featuring different faces, the luxury MPV twins are still fitted with large grilles as before.
And as usual, the Alphard features an executive face, with its grille made up of black and chrome plates, together with LED headlamps and dashed-patterned LED DRLs. The Vellfire, which is the sportier twin, features chrome slats for its grille, with LED headlamps and a series of black elements around the car.
The black elements on the Vellfire are even more apparent with the Z Premier variant. It gets a series of design elements Toyota calls “Jet-black plating”, as well as black equipment to deliver an aggressive demeanour. Toyota also said that the two MPVs have been designed with a sense of solidity, akin to a fighting bull in full charge.
Both the Toyota Alphard and Vellfire are available in naturally-aspirated (NA) petrol, turbocharged petrol, as well as petrol hybrid powertrain options, depending on the model and variant chosen. A choice of 2WD, AWD, and hybrid AWD options are also available between the all-new Toyota Alphard and Vellfire.
The Alphard with its Z variant gets two powertrain options. This includes the 2.5-litre NA petrol engine, which paired to the Super CVT-i transmission makes 182 hp (metric) and 235 Nm. Power is sent to either the front wheels only (FWD) or all four wheels via an all-wheel drive (AWD) system.
Another powertrain that is available with the Alphard is Toyota’s series parallel hybrid system, which is available for both the Z and higher-end Executive Lounge variants. This setup consists of a 2.5-litre 4-cylinder Dynamic Force engine which by itself produces 190 hp (metric) and 236 Nm, as well as a 5 NM electric motor that puts out 182 hp (metric) and 270 Nm by itself.
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System output is rated at 250 hp (metric). Powering the electric motors is a nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery, rated at 5 Ah.
Mated to the hybrid system is an E-CVT, power can be either sent to the front wheels only or all four wheels via Toyota’s hybrid E-Four AWD System. The rear wheels also gain an extra 4NM electric motor that pushes out 54 hp (metric) and 121 Nm.
The sportier Vellfire also gets the same hybrid powertrain as the Alphard, but gains a turbocharged petrol option alongside it. Available with the Z Premier variant only, the 2.4-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder is paired with an 8-speed Direct Shift automatic transmission. With both FWD and AWD options, power is rated at 279 hp (metric) and 430 Nm. Toyota says that it will further contribute towards carbon neutrality, and is planning to introduce plug-in hybrid (PHEV) options in the future as well.
Moving inside, the all-new fourth-generation Toyota Alphard and Vellfire gains a more modern and minimalistic interior, which consists of fewer buttons than before. Equipment included in the new MPVs include a digital instrument cluster, central display, and a touch-based climate control. There is also a redesigned gear selector positioned within the centre console, as well as an electronic parking brake which also comes with auto brake hold function.
All variants are six-seaters, featuring a 2-2-2 layout. The second row gets a pair of powered captain seats too.
As its name suggests, the Executive Lounge variants get “executive” features such as a retractable table, captain seats that come with heating and ventilating functions, a detachable control panel that enables occupants in the car to control media playback, climate control settings, and also the sunshade.
To make the Alphard and Vellfire which are already known for their comfort even more comfortable, Toyota has increased the space between the front and second-row seats, as well as between the second-and third-row seats, by 5 mm and 10 mm respectively. Toyota has also concentrated on interior fixtures such as lighting, assorted switches, and aircon vents in the centre of the ceiling. These fixtures were all located along both sides of the ceiling in the previous gen luxury MPVs.
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Toyota also claims the all-new Alphard and Vellfire to be the first-ever Toyota vehicles to feature its Universal Steps on both left- and right-hand-side sliding doors. The steps are also positioned approximately 220 mm above ground, which helps entering and exiting the vehicles even easier for small children and the elderly.
Just in case you need more luxurious features, Toyota has further improved the Alphard and Vellfire’s sunshades. The moonroof uses independently operable right and left-side shades, so that some occupants can choose to see the sky while others choose to block out the sunlight. Toyota’s has also installed its first-ever pull-down side sunshades, enabling occupants to block excess sunlight while still enjoying the scenery.
The Alphard and Vellfire have often been used by bosses as super-luxury mobile offices and as exquisitely comfortable private rooms. Therefore comfort was one of Toyota’s main priorities while developing the fourth generation Toyota Alphard and Vellfire. With that, Toyota has overhauled the seats to prevent vibrations and noise from being transmitted to the occupants.
In the safety department, both the Toyota Alphard and Vellfire are fitted with the Toyota Safety Sense suite. The suite features safety features such as proactive driving assist & intra-lane steering assist, as well as deceleration assist when turning at intersections.
Toyota Teammate, which comes as standard with the Executive Lounge hybrid variants, and as an option for the Z and Z Premier variants are also available. This includes the Advanced Park function, which also comes with remote park function, and can also be controlled via the Remote Park smartphone app.
Toyota is also offering the Advanced Drive system. When certain conditions are met, it can help reduce driver fatigue in congested traffic and enables the driver to pay closer attention to his or her surroundings to achieve safe driving. This feature is available as standard with the Executive Lounge and Z Premier variants, and is available as an option with the Z variant.
The all-new Toyota Alphard and Vellfire will be built at Toyota’s Inabe Plant in Japan. Toyota is expecting to sell 8,500 units of the luxury MPVs each month, with 70% of the sales contributed by Alphards, and around 30% contributed by Vellfires.
The previous third-gen Toyota Alphard and Vellfire were brought in by UMW Toyota Motors. Whether the official Toyota distributor will be bringing in the all-new Alphard and Vellfire in the future, only time will tell. What do you think of the new luxury MPVs, bosses? Let us know in the comments!
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