Most powerful yet? Next-generation Toyota Alphard hybrid may debut May 2023

The current generation of the Toyota Alphard is getting long in the tooth as it has been on the market for about eight years.

Its age marks the model as a prime candidate for a replacement. 

Our colleagues at Wapcar Malaysia reported that a new generation of the Toyota minivan might be coming as soon as May 2023, with renders popping up claiming to be close to the production version.

While we take this information with a grain of salt as these are just renders, they give us a general idea of what to expect from the next-generation Toyota Alphard.

An angular and sportier exterior

According to the Japanese publication Creative311, the renders they released were based on a “design that has passed internal review.” 

These render hints as to how the production version of the Alphard could look like when it officially makes its debut in a few months. 

New and great power

A 3.5-liter, twin-cam, 24-valve V6 gasoline engine powers the current generation of the Toyota minivan.

It produces 300 PS and 361 Nm of torque mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. 

The reports further state that the next-generation model will come with Toyota’s Dynamic Force gas-electric hybrid powertrains, including a turbocharged hybrid version. 

The Dynamic Force petrol-electric hybrid powertrain has already seen action in the Toyota Crown SportCross, producing 340 PS and 542 Nm of torque. It represents a 40 PS and 181 Nm of torque increase over its gasoline-only V6 version.

Aside from hybrid power, the Toyota minivan is also expected to come with a turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-4 gasoline engine. 

This engine may also be the same one that made its debut on the AZ20-generation Lexus NX, developing 279 PS and 430 Nm of torque.

Access to Toyota Safety Sense suite

Aside from the powertrain options and possible design, little is known about the upcoming Toyota Alphard.

However, as this will be a new nameplate generation, we expect it to come with the Toyota Safety Sense ADAS suite.

The addition of these features means that the vehicle could get access to features such as  Proactive Driving Assist, Safe Exit Assist, as well as the Toyota Teammate system (Advanced Drive and Advanced Park).

Will Toyota be able to strike a balance between safety, technology and looks with the next-generation Alphard?