Upmarket MPVs have been on the rise in India in the last year or so, following the introduction of the luxurious Mercedes V-class range and the premium Kia Carnival. And with MG also set to join the fray imminently, with the G10, Toyota has decided that it too wants a piece of the premium MPV pie and has lined-up the luxurious Vellfire for a launch on February 26. Expected to be priced in the range of Rs 85-90 lakh (ex-showroom), bookings for the Vellfire have been open at select Toyota dealerships for a while.
The Vellfire will come with a petrol-hybrid powertrain, which pairs a 150hp, 2.5-litre engine and two electric motors, one on each axle. This gives it a combined output of 197hp, which is sent to all four wheels via a CVT automatic gearbox. The Vellfire can also be driven in pure EV mode over short distances.
The luxury MPV will be sold in a 7-seat configuration and with the ‘Executive Lounge’ package only. This package gets the MPV two large ‘thrones’ (captain’s chairs) for the middle-row passengers (which are powered, ventilated and can also be reclined), powered sliding doors and tailgate, two sunroofs, a three-zone automatic climate control, mood lighting, individual tray tables, seven airbags and an option of black or beige interior upholstery.
Toyota will import the Vellfire to India in Completely Built-Up (CBU) form under the relaxed homologation rule, which allows carmakers to import up to 2,500 vehicles every year without needing to homologate them. The Vellfire will have only one direct competitor when it is launched, the Mercedes-Benz V-class, prices for which are in the range of Rs 68.40 lakh to Rs 1.46 crore (ex-showroom, pan-India).
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