VIDEO: Interview with 2016 Toyota Alphard and Vellfire chief engineer – changes made for Malaysian market

Toyota Malaysia’s official Facebook page has just posted this video of an interview with the 2016 Toyota Alphard and Vellfire chief engineer, Kenichi Yoshioka. In the clip, he explains quite a few interesting details on the pair of new MPVs, including changes that have been made specifically for the Malaysian market.

“Though our cars look the same from the outside, they are customised inside for each (market) requirement, especially for the engine, ECU, tyre choices and suspension,” he said. Weather and road conditions, fuel quality and customer usage are all considered for each market, including Malaysia.

To comply with local regulations, our Alphard and Vellfire get larger wing mirrors too – important as “Malaysia has a lot of motorcyclists.” As overheating can be a problem with our high temperatures, the official models get a unique ECU tuning. A new head unit with English buttons and local maps are also added.

Apparently, Toyota has sold over 108,000 units of the models since its launch in Japan last year, making it the fastest-selling versions yet. A new approach – drastically different to the model before – called “new spacious luxury saloon” has been adopted this time, as the target is to make a luxurious vehicle rather than a traditional MPV.

A new “grandeluxe” concept focus on four pillars: luxury performance, robust coolness, premium easy access and executive lounge experience. Watch the full interview above for explanations of each of the pillars here.

In Malaysia, the Toyota Alphard 3.5 is priced at RM419,900, while the Alphard 3.5 Executive Lounge goes for RM519,900. As for the sole Vellfire variant available here, the 2.5, that is priced at RM355,000. All prices are on-the-road including GST and insurance. A manufacturer-backed five-year, unlimited mileage warranty is also included.