Hailing from the fleet of Japanese auto manufacturer, Toyota Hiace is one of the vans that currently rules the Philippines market. With a definite purpose and goal, this drive from Japan has earned a special place in the Philippines auto market over time. First launched in the country in 1995, the van was marketed as a commercial vehicle, which later on was adopted as a family car by the Filipinos.
The first model launched in the country was the fourth generation vehicle, which was followed by the fifth generation model in 2005. While the topmost trim was made available to Filipinos in 2006 as Super Grandia Hiace, which came with automatic transmission system. Currently, there are three variants on offer for the customers to choose from including base Commuter, GL Grandia, and Super Grandia.
On the outside, the van looks massive and bulky. The absence of bonnet and a large front windscreen makes the van looks boxy. The front has a two-slat grille which is garnished with the presence of chrome. On either side of the front grille, there are wrap-around halogen headlights with inbuilt turn indicators. The bumper at the front looks heavy with a neat outing at the centre for air dam. The fog lamps are perfectly placed on either side of the bumper with black housing. The side of Hiace is clean and elegant. The rear doors get a sliding feature to help the occupants to enter inside the van with ease. Under the authoritative wheel arches are the 15-inch steel wheels that take care of a smooth ride.
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The interiors look nicely laid up with neat and comfortable seating arrangement. The black dashboard is upmarket featuring a large information screen, which serves amazingly to the user needs and requirements. The stylish 4-spoke steering wheel is complimented by the gear knob that is uniquely placed just near the dash. Cleverly designed van has immense space for storage as well as offer terrific headroom and legroom for the passengers on the go. The wideness of the cabin is worth praising for while the rear seats come with a bench layout which accounts for more wideness.
Talking about the mechanical specifications of Toyota Hiace, all the three variants are powered by a 3.0-litre L Type four cylinder DOHC diesel engine, which after combining with either 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission system can churn out a max power of 136 PS along with the peak torque of 300 Nm. The top of the line model gets the automatic gearbox while the base Commuter version is mingled to a 5-speed manual dash mounted gearbox.
As most vehicles from Toyota’s fleet, this van has also been equipped with notable safety features like side door impact beams, Anti-lock Braking system, SRS front airbags, 2-point NR seat belts for rear passengers and the brand’s Vehicle Security System for theft purposes.
The power punch offered by the Hiace is worth appreciating while the drive quality is up to the standards as well. Considering a big vehicle like this, the brand has put in significant efforts to make it worth buying.
Top the line equipment, comfortable drive quality and enormous space inside the cabin makes it one of the best vans available in the market. Adhered with a Toyota tag, the van is certainly an option to look forward to if you are willing to purchase a vehicle of this sort in the near future.
