Raize Compact SUV
It’s only a few days till the launch of Toyota’s sub-four metre compact SUV – Raize, and we’d like to fill you in on the excitement!
Design and Dimensions
Styled very much like a Toyota SUV, it gets a dominating front that will remind you a bit of the RAV 4. The nose sports a similar trapezoidal grille with mesh inserts, LED headlamps with daytime running LED lights and an adaptive driving beam, and fog-lamps with angular housings. The Toyota logo sits atop the grille and the on the whole; the front fascia gives off a frown that means business.
The company is planning to offer a variety of add-ons for its compact urban SUV that includes body kit options and design options for its seventeen-inch alloy wheels. The accessory options also include a Toyota Racing Development (TRD) package with more aggressive styling. The compact SUV gets a floating D-pillar with a tall bumper that comes with contrasting black inserts and is thickly clad from the waist down. The car also gets a pair of sporty roof-rails that complete the urban SUV image.
Toyota will be offering five variants of the Raize, and each will come with the option of four-wheel drive for a little extra money. The car will also get eight colour options to choose from and three dual-tone varieties for the interior and upholstery. Initially, to be launched in Japan, the Raize will probably arrive in India by the mid or second half of the coming year.
Dimensional figures put the Raize at 3995 mm long, 1695mm wide and 1620 mm high, precisely like its Daihatsu twin. Styling cues like the unique shape and surface play of the front and rear bumpers set it apart from the Rocky. The SUV also gets a three hundred and sixty-nine-litre boot with a hidden storage compartment under the boot floor.
The interior is very new age with a Toyota-ish touch, a dashboard lined with faux brushed aluminium trimmings for the AC vents and the steering wheel. The driver-focused cockpit inspired centre console sports an independent infotainment screen with reverse camera display, that is expected to be well over eight inches.
Safety and Powertrain
Safety features include blind-spot monitoring, a pedestrian detection system, adaptive cruise control, and cornering lamps. Also, dual front airbags and curtain airbags can be expected as standard across all the variants.
Based on the low-cost DNGA flexible platform by Toyota, this car is aimed at the freshly emerging market. The powertrain is a 1.0 litre, three-cylinder, turbocharged petrol motor with twelve valves and capable of 98 horsepower at 6000 rpm and a torque output of 140 Nm between 2400 and 4000 rpm. Gearbox units might be options between a CVT and a six-speed manual. Economy is expected to be 18.6 km per litre of fuel for the two-wheel drive variant, and 17.4 kmpl for the four-wheel drive.
With its dimensions, styling and performance figures, the Raize is a strong challenger for the ever-growing urban SUV line up in the Indian market. If launched, it holds the potential to “raise” Toyota’s chances at thriving in the automotive game of our country.
Vellfire MPV
Though the Raize is a little far from the Indian market, another one of the Toyota Kirloskar lines is the luxury MPV, Vellfire. With a pre-booking amount Rs. Five Lakh, the Vellfire has already been spotted in quite a few showrooms across the Indian subcontinent. It’s had a long-anticipated market entry, post the introduction of the Toyota Alphard at the 2018 Indian Auto Expo. A sportier version of the Alphard, the Vellfire is expected to go on sale in the next few weeks and is being brought into the country as a Completely built-up unit (CBU). This means that we can expect a high price tag, and initial reports suggest the cost to be slightly north of Rs. 75 lakh. That isn’t too bad since the Vellfire aims to compete with the likes of the Mercedes Benz V class which hit the markets earlier this year.
The company plans on selling at least two thousand five hundred units in a year before moving on to something more concrete and long term.
Power and Transmission
The Vellfire is powered by the 2.5 litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine paired with a hybrid arrangement and signature to Lexus. It is expected to produce an output of 197 horses and 235 Nm of peak torque, and is mated to a CVT automatic transmission. Power is sent to both axles, and fuel efficiency can be expected to just south of 12 kmpl.
Interiors
The Vellfire will host a variety of premium features including split LED headlamps with daytime running LED lights. In addition, all trims come highlighted with chrome bits to add to the luxurious appeal of the car. The interior comes with a dark themed dashboard and freshly styled centre console with a large centrally mounted touchscreen infotainment unit. It also gets the option of an executive lounge package, with twin throne seating for the middle row passengers with ventilated reclining seats that can be electronically controlled. The six-seater variant will flaunt individual seat tables, seven airbags and a 10.2-inch screen for the rear passengers.
Though the Vellfire will be a class among MPVs, we would also suggest looking at the option of getting a custom-built recreational vehicle for a way lesser amount.
