I hope to be a towkay one day and thanks to Toyota Singapore, I had my wish partially fulfilled when I had the opportunity to experience what is like to be a towkay’s driver for 3 days.
I was given the keys to a spanking new Toyota Vellfire that was launched a few months ago and because the king of MPV cost more than half the price of my 5-room HDB flat, my heart was fuelled with excitement that cannot be contained.
The second-generation Toyota Vellfire is certainly unlike its predecessor and with its striking bold appearance, it looks like it is ready for some serious touring that will be the envy of many people. The sculptured contours, refined details, and the elongated side silhouette are definitely a vision to behold.
The epitome of automotive luxury and elegance, the Toyota Vellfire exemplifies the essence of individuality by way of unique and impactful expressions and commands its own distinctive presence on the roads.
If the exterior was impressive, wait till you read about the interior of the Toyota Vellfire.
Packed with so many features for both the driver and the passengers, the elaborate workmanship of the interior stresses the quality of the materials and combines with sculpted metal surface and wood-grain ornamentation for a unique impact.
To make the ride feel so much more comfortable and luxurious, the car’s second row come equipped with Captain and Ottoman seats that are power-operated. Swaddling the passengers with high-end trimmed leather for exceptional comfort, travelling with the Toyota Vellfire is akin to taking a business class flight to work and/or play every day.
Should the setting be overly serious and formal, passengers can also select from a myriad of colours to influence the mood during the drive as it comes with a 16-colour LED ceiling colour illumination system. Also, with the Tri-Zone Independent Automatic Air Conditioning System; it lets the driver, front, and rear passengers control their preferred temperatures autonomously.
Image Credits to Toyota
So how does it feel like to be in the driver’s seat of the Toyota Vellfire?
The Toyota Vellfire is no doubt a big car but that does make it difficult to drive or even park the car as it comes with a surround-view parking system. Equipped with a new 2.5L Dual VVT-I engine that continuously optimises the timing of the intake and exhaust valve operation according to driving conditions, the transition is extremely smooth and the car picks up speed really well.
Image Credits to Toyota
Whether it is cornering or going over road humps, passengers will find the drive extremely comfortable and very stable. The noise from the road and the engine compartment is also hardly noticeable.
In terms of fuel consumption, I found the Toyota Vellfire to be slightly on the higher side but I suppose this is normal as it only logical that more energy is required to transport a big vehicle that is fully occupied by 7 adults. Then again, nobody would really care much about the fuel consumption when they can hire a chauffeur and have a lounge-on-wheels at their bidding.
Overall, the Toyota Vellfire is definitely a pretty swag car for long road trips and if your desire is to have a nomad lifestyle, the Toyota Vellfire is going to be a great companion for just SGD$217,888 [updated as of 2 October 2015].
For more information about the Toyota Vellfire, you can head down to Toyota Singapore Showroom at Alexandra Road or visit Toyota Singapore’s Official Website.