The new facelifted Toyota Alphard 2.4 review

This alphard is very similar to the toyota vellfire. The headlamp are the only changes

The huge Alphard compared side by side with my Murano



Nice meters, looks like sports watch with a rotating bezel to me. Oh..did i see a km/l meter on a VAN?




3rd row is also well pampered with a powerfull air conditioner and comfy bench



No seperate temperature control, this control module is located on the roof of the van

Beige coloured interior is beautifully built. Lost the gear knob though

Really huge doors close with a solid thud, and the rear doors are powered

This MPV is a couple of inch lower than the previous model, thus no problem in car parks.

Beautifull dash board is simple as well. I love how the aircond vents are sculpted which looks much like the ones from porsche panamera.

The roof comes equiped with railings for curtains

Did you said Knee room?

I was given the opportunity to test drive the new Toyota Alphard 2.4 courtesy of Iktikadraya. This Alphard here is the Alphard 09' model which comes with high equipment levels such as twin power door, front and rear camera, bluetooth handsfree, 17 inch wheels and etc. The price for this 09 van is at RM280,000.00, and i was told that the price can go up to RM340+ if you tick all the options in the list.

Ride quality

Upon driving this vehicle, i quickly noticed how quiet the ride is. At speeds of 160km/h, the ride feels very comfortable with a slight firmness, very quiet and serene and while going at that speed all that is heard is the engine noise. At 160kmh the noise from the engine is very buzzy, it sounds like running 'along' a heavily modified perodua kancil with huge exhaust at the back. The ride feels a little bit firmer than the toyota estima in comparison but it is still comfy, and the only thing that bother it is when going thru speed bumps which a 'thunk' sounds can be heard from the suspension.

Engine 

The engine feels a little down on power and when travelling at 120kmh, the engine is spinning at a low 2000 rpm, and the sounds it makes when spinning at 3k rpm sounds tinny.....sounds more like a 600cc K-car engine.

I kept telling myself that i'm in a 7 seater family van, and not a sports car, but the  shortfall from the engine is too much for me to ignore it.

The eco indicator in the dash board will light up when the vehicle senses that it is running in maximum efficiency mode. Quite frugal to drive when you keep the eco mode light on at all times.

My friend also reported that the fuel tank which can store up to RM120.00 worth of RON97 petrol can sustain long cruises from penang till K.L and this makes it

'quite' fuel efficient too.

The gearbox is a CVT unit and it has a virtual 7 speed, and its operation is buttery smooth.

Cabin

The cabin is finished in cloth and fabric, and its quality lives up to Toyota's reputation. The cream coloured cabin although light and airy gets dirty easily. The cabin is also very inviting and has all the creature comforts that you will find to be a godsend when going on long haul journeys. This 7 seater version has 2 captain chair in the middle row and it offers the best place in the cabin, while the powerful rear ceiling air conditioner keeps all the rear passengers cool.

While wafting along at high speed, a decent conversation can be had between the third row seat passenger and the driver. The seats are firm and supportive, and it feels very much like a sports/bucket seat rather than cosy armchair feel, but it is very comfortable to lay your bottom on.

The driver is perched up high as most MPV's do and controls are all focused on the driver, the seats are comfortable, dials are easy and clear to read and not to mention is the beautiful optitron meters.

Conclusion

This toyota alphard is the best cruiser van around, and luxury and the reliability it offers makes it the most popular choice among malaysian who looks in this category. The comfort, quietness and classiness of this MPV will more than attract you to drop a booking after test driving one of these, and if you have one of these in your garage i'm sure you'll be more than eager to drive all the way to penang to have some laksa then return home after that.

This toyota alphard when compared to the slightly pricier toyota vellfire is identical in comparison, except for minor exterior changes such as the front and rear lights but if you're rich enough to buy the 3.5litre version, you might want to choose the Toyota vellfire which comes with mid-row pilot seats.