Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has entered the country’s luxury car market by launching Toyota Vellfire, a self-charging hybrid electric vehicle at an introductory price of Rs 79.5 lakh. The carmaker claims that the first three months shipments totalling 180 units have already been sold out and new buyers will have to wait for the delivery from April onwards. Toyota has sold six lakh units of Vellfire globally and aims to replicate the success in the domestic market. TKM also has plans to launch one more luxury vehicle later this year.
Masakazu Yoshimura, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “The New Vellfire truly encapsulates Toyota’s class defining technology, comfort, elegance and sustainability that ultimately offers an excellent driving experience for the customers.”
“Globally, we have a caravan of luxury offerings, and the launch of Toyota Vellfire in India marks a significant moment in our journey. The Vellfire is an icon of ultimate luxury whilst envisaging a greener future. Today’s announcement is a significant step in our mid-to-long-term plan to achieve Zero CO2 challenge. We will continue to work for mass electrification thus moving towards the goal of sustainable mobility”. Vellfire comes with a 2.5-litre 4-Cylinder Gasoline Hybrid Engine that offers 86 kW (115 BHP) power and a max torque of 198 Nm @2800-4000 rpm. The new Vellfire engine which is also coupled with two electric motors and a hybrid battery ensures low emissions.
This advanced technology bumped-up by the hybrid synergy has also contributed to an impressive mileage of 16.35 Km/l as certified by test agency (under standard test conditions), the company said. Design wise, the new multi-purpose vehicle has some resemblance to company’s most popular MPV- Innova, it surely outclasses the latter. Safety side, Vellfire is equipped with 7 SRS Airbags & Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management, Emergency Brake Signal, Hill start assist control and Vehicle Stability Control. The Vellfire will compete against Mercedes-Benz V-Class, while slight comparisons to the much cheaper Kia Carnival are likely.
Car has Apple CarPlay, 13-inch rear screen
The car gets a 10-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 13-inch screen for the rear passengers mounted to the roof. The car is fitted with 17-speaker sound system from JBL, three-zone climate control, fold-out tables, cup holders and more.