[Taboleo] We Will Comfortably Serve You

Toyota Minivan Alphard Review
Urethane Cushion & Memory Foam Backrest
Sedan-like Ride Comfort
Separate Left and Right Sunroofs

The target point of Toyota's minivan Alphard is clear. A vehicle for official use does not necessarily have to be a sedan. Sedans are relatively quiet and offer a comfortable ride, so they are mainly used when you want to comfortably accommodate passengers. On the other hand, minivans may have somewhat inferior ride comfort but their advantage lies in spaciousness.

"It is physically impossible for a sedan to have the interior space of a minivan, but it is technologically possible for a minivan to have the ride comfort of a sedan." Toyota's engineers seem to have made this judgment when creating the Alphard. Until now, it was mainly sold in the Japanese domestic market, but the 4th generation new model introduced last year has also been brought to Korea.

Toyota Alphard Interior
[Photo by Korea Toyota Motor Corporation]

As a high-end minivan aimed at official use, the second-row rear seats are impressive. The seat surface material is Nappa natural leather, and the lower cushion part uses urethane to distribute body pressure. The backrest and armrest use low-rebound memory foam material. Toyota used this material for the first time to reduce vibrations transmitted to the body. In addition to paying attention to the vehicle suspension, vibration-damping materials were also used in the seat cushion frame. The seat reclines enough to lie back, and features such as leg rests, ventilation and heating, and acupressure using air pressure are all integrated into a single seat.

It also gives the impression of being quieter compared to the front seats, as various materials were used on the glass and doors or the design was refined. Rather than cost-cutting, they spared no effort to make a good car. Additionally, the built-in table and smartphone-like touch-type controller can be used separately by the left and right passengers. The smart comfort function, which allows individual settings of seat position, air conditioning, and lighting according to personal preference or situation, also seems useful. The vehicle sunroof moves separately on the left and right sides. The second-row seats have electric sliding but manual operation is also possible.

Toyota Alphard
Photo by Korea Toyota Motor Corporation

The third-row seats at the very back are also comfortable, with reclining capability and armrests. The third-row seats are split in half and can be lifted to the side of the vehicle. This allows ample space to load up to six golf bags. There are 220V outlets and USB Type-C ports for external power supply located throughout, so there is no shortage.

The 2.5ℓ hybrid system produces 250 horsepower, making daily driving manageable. The motor provides smooth acceleration from start to a certain speed. It uses an electronic continuously variable transmission and an all-wheel-drive system that drives the rear wheels with a motor only when necessary. The front and rear drive force can be distributed from 100:0 to 20:80.

Toyota Alphard Interior [Photo by Korea Toyota Motor]

The interface of the driver’s instrument panel and center display is said to have improved significantly compared to previous Toyota models. However, compared to recently released new cars, it appears somewhat small and plain. Apple CarPlay can be used wirelessly, but Android Auto is not supported. Compared to the domestic minivan Kia Carnival, the length and width are somewhat shorter, but the height is taller. Although the vehicle is large, features such as the panoramic view monitor (PVM) that shows blind spots through cameras placed around the vehicle and a digital rearview mirror using the rear camera ensure no major inconvenience during driving or parking.

The official fuel efficiency is 13.5 km per liter, and after driving around Seoul city and its surroundings for about two days, the result was about 15 km per liter, which is longer than the official figure. It was similar to the Carnival hybrid model and higher than the Carnival Hi-Limousine, which is considered a direct competitor. Although there were some views that the price, approaching 100 million KRW, was somewhat expensive, the potential demand was considerable, with pre-orders before the official domestic launch being delayed by several months. This suggests that quite a few people desire their own personal space.

Alphard Interior Panorama Moonroof
Photo by Toyota Korea Motor

Toyota Alphard 2nd Row Seat Built-in Table
[Photo by Korea Toyota Motor Corporation]

Toyota Alphard Photo by Korea Toyota Motor Corporation

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.