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The Toyota Vellfire is a luxury MPV with a characterful design
| Photo Credit:
Ishaan Jaiswal
“It looks like it’s from the future” – haven’t we heard this uncountable times before? Anything that looks out of the ordinary is given the benefit of the doubt that it can be from the future. Having said that, the Toyota Vellfire isn’t just any other car vying for your attention. It doesn’t have to try too hard for that. It’s a luxury MPV but with a characterful design. Its angular design is complemented by a chrome grille, sharp headlights and quite unique tail lamps. It isn’t how you’d expect a luxury people mover to be, but that’s exactly what the Vellfire is. And, you know what, it looks like it is from the future!
On the outside, the Vellfire is boxy with straight lines and a tall roofline. Its front is unapologetically in your face thanks to the chrome grille and sleek LED projector headlights. The profile is of a typical luxury MPV but not without added character. The pillars are blacked-out, there are sharp character lines, and it’s adorned with the popular ‘floating roof’. Rounding up the exterior design is a pair of Z-shaped LED taillights, which gives the Vellfire’s backside some distinction.
A tall seating position offers superb visibility
| Photo Credit: Ishaan Jaiswal
Get inside, and you’ll notice a tall seating position, which offers superb visibility. The steering is precise but so light that you forget that you are at the helm of a large people mover; it’s also reflected in its relatively small turning radius. It doesn’t drive like an MPV but rather feels like a well-engineered car, which somehow also has the ability to ferry high-net-worth individuals in top-notch comfort. Even at triple-digit speeds, the Vellfire’s cabin remains remarkably quiet. This is not down to just its powertrain but also the use of great sound-deadening and acoustic glass.
Seamless acceleration
A 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine paired with Toyota’s much-appreciated hybrid system powers the MPV and delivers a combined output of 190 bhp and 24.33 kg-m. On the move, it’s eerily silent and devoid of any vibrations, especially at low speeds, thanks to the electric motor. Picking up speed isn’t an issue with the e-CVT gearbox, which offers seamless acceleration. During our testing, we noticed the car delivered between 17-20 km/l out on the highway and 14-16 km/l in urban conditions. Despite weighing well over two tonnes and with little aid in the aero department, the credit goes to the Vellfire’s regen braking and electric-only mode.
The crux of the matter is the rear-seat comfort, and the Vellfire excels in that department. Getting inside the cabin is made possible with the large power-sliding doors. You don’t need to do much or make your chauffeur do the hard work. With the touch of a button or gently tugging the handle, the sliding door will gracefully open, offering a portal to the world of unashamed luxury.
“This is business-class on wheels,” you might hear yourself say. Then, you’ll climb aboard to appreciate the Ottoman-style rear seats, which only take the experience to a new level. With a great deal of adjustability, the seats come with extendable leg rests and can be reclined to a near-flat 180 degrees. There’s also a massaging function to ensure that you forget the long day at work, and if the temperature gets too extreme outside, the seats themselves come with an added heating and ventilation function. What else would one need! Oh, and there are memory presets, too — which ensures the car ‘knows’ your favourite settings.
A fold-out table is available at the back, and the onboard 11.6-inch screens can double as displays via the HDMI port
| Photo Credit: Ishaan Jaiswal
More boot space
There’s a third row of seats, too, and unlike on other luxury SUVs, it’s pretty useable on the Vellfire. When not in use, you can fold them to get about 458 litres of boot space. The other party trick is the touchscreen remote for controlling everything from privacy blinds to the panoramic sunroof. There’s also a fold-out table at the back, and the onboard 11.6-inch screens can be used as a display via an HDMI port.
The Vellfire is priced at ₹1.2 crore. It not only undercuts popular cars like the Mercedes-Benz V-Class and Lexus LM 350, but it also offers enough uniqueness in terms of its hybrid powertrain (Merc doesn’t get that) and exceptional value (compared to the Lexus). The Vellfire isn’t for the driving enthusiast or someone who would like their luxury car to do it all. It has a well-defined agenda, and that is to ensure top-class luxury for rear-seat passengers. Having spent some time with the Vellfire, we can confidently say that it works exceptionally well in that regard.
© Motoring World
Published on May 9, 2025
This article first appeared on The Hindu Business Line
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