The Toyota Alphard has been a surprise hit in the Philippines.

Even though it’s a gasoline-powered minivan, it’s boxy yet stately styling, combined with its vast and luxurious cabin, meant it was a hit for everyone from politicians to high-roller gamblers. Indeed, no five-star casino in Metro Manila is complete without its own fleet of black or white Alphards.

Given its success, Toyota decided to make subtle but significant changes to the all-new Alphard and its sportier sibling, the Vellfire. The Japanese carmaker officially launched the luxurious minivans in Japan on June 21, 2023.

Understated looks

The newest Alphard carries over the upright and dignified styling of the previous-generation model.

The most significant changes are at the front, with the large LED headlights integrating seamlessly with the enormous front grill. This gives the Alphard a more intimidating look on the road, without using so much gaudy chrome.

Down the side, the Alphard remains fairly slab-sided. However, the swoosh in the B-pillar and the chrome trim along the top of the windows give it a truly distinctive side profile.

At the back, the Alphard still gets full-length LED taillights, a large tailgate spoiler and a more boxy bumper.

Meanwhile, the more aggressive Vellfire is set apart with its body kit, blacked-out grill trim and special alloy wheels.

Toyota said in a June 2023 press statement that the minivan’s design philosophy is rooted in "Forceful x IMPACT LUXURY." The team sought to “establish a sense of solidity for the vehicles, akin to a fighting bull in full charge.”

The company added that the Alphard and Vellfire are its first vehicles to come with Universal Steps on both doors. As the doors open, a step emerges approximately 220 mm above the ground, lowering the height of the first step for customers entering or exiting the vehicle.

Splendid cabin

The Alphard’s interior is its key selling point – it offers the room of a van with the plushness of a traditional luxury sedan.

Besides the new dashboard design, the all-new Alphard is slightly roomier than the previous model.

Toyota said the development team succeeded in increasing the space between the front and second-row seats, and between the second-row and third-row seats by 5 mm and 10 mm respectively. 

“They did this by implementing modifications to both the driving position and to the construction of the second-row seats, making both the side quarter trim on the third row of seats and the backdoor trim thinner, and trying multiple sizes at intervals of 0.1 mm,” the company said.

Another neat feature is the Super-Long Overhead Console, which puts the lighting and air-conditioning switches and vents into one attractive, ceiling-mounted section.

It provides enhanced convenience and operability by enabling occupants in any seat to open windows on the opposite side of the vehicle and adjust the lighting.

The moonroof likewise features independently operable right-side and left-side shades, so that some occupants can choose to see the sky while others choose to block out the sunlight. 

Toyota's first-ever pull-down side sunshades have also been installed in the minivans, enabling customers to block excess sunlight while still enjoying the scenery.

Hybrid Alphard available

The all-new Alphard now comes as a full hybrid vehicle, available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

Under the hood is a 2.5-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve, inline-4 gasoline engine mated to an electric motor. The system has a combined output of 250 PS, with a claimed fuel economy of 17.5 km/l in the front-wheel-drive model.

Meanwhile, the Vellfire packs a turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-4 gasoline engine that replaces the old 3.5-liter V6. Toyota said the turbo powerplant has more torque at low engine speeds, along with a shorter accelerator pedal stroke.

Both minivans sit on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA-K) platform that adopts straight rockers and a V-shaped brace in the rear-lower part of the vehicle to improve rigidity by 50 percent over the previous models. The Vellfire also gets a front strut brace for a better front-end feel.

And for a truly serene ride, Toyota installed newly developed low-noise tires and sound-absorbing materials in the cowls to reduce road noise.

In addition, the company optimized the shapes of the hood, door mirrors and A-pillars that are exposed to the wind to reduce wind noise.

Comprehensive safety systems

Given that the Alphard is a high-end minivan that often carries the super-wealthy, it has plenty of safety gear.

As such, it comes standard with the Toyota Safety Sense active-safety suite that includes things like:

• Proactive Driving Assist - Intra-Lane Steering Assist – This function predicts driver inputs and adjusts the steering counterforce to provide support for smoother driving by limiting unnecessary operations and preventing operational delays.

• Proactive Driving Assist - Deceleration Assist when Turning at Intersections – This function is activated when an approaching intersection is detected and the driver releases the accelerator pedal and turns on a direction indicator light. When activated, it provides assistance for early vehicle deceleration, enabling the driver to turn left or right with greater ease.

Both the Alphard and the Vellfire are equipped with Toyota Teammate, a suite of high-level driver-assistance technologies that provide support for parking and traffic jams. Features include:

• Advanced Park (with remote function) – Drivers can use the "Remote Park" smartphone app to remotely park the vehicle or exit parking spaces, even while outside the vehicle.

• Advanced Drive (support during traffic congestion) – This function is activated when certain conditions are met: the driver is facing forward, driving on an expressway or other motor-vehicle-only roadway, Radar Cruise Control and Lane Tracing Assist are activated and the vehicle is in congested traffic and moving at a speed of 0 to 40 km/h.

Toyota Motor Philippines has not yet made an official announcement on when the Alphard will be launched locally.

Are you looking forward to an even better version of the Toyota Alphard?

Did you enjoy this story? Give it five stars now below!