New Toyota Hiace unveiled in South East Asia

ABU DHABI: Toyota unveiled the 2019 Hiace in the Philippines yesterday. The popular people-mover is apt for both personal and professional users. This new model is a significant improvement over its predecessor with a host of changes.

It is based on a revised Toyota’s TNGA platform. This makes the new Hiace more rigid, quieter, and safer. It also offers more comfort than the model it replaces. Dimensions have also increased, it is now 570 mm longer, 255 mm wider, and the wheelbase is 640 mm longer than its predecessor. The variants for the new Hiace are the same as before. You get the Normal/Standard Roof along with the Long/High Roof variants. Several interior arrangements are also available including the popular ‘Commuter’ spec. For the logistics industry, the cargo versions will be the pick of the lot.

Powering the new Hiace is a 2.8-litre 1GD diesel and 3.5-litre 7GR petrol engine mated to either a manual or automatic transmission. On the safety front, the new model will have the Toyota Safety Sense package comprising of active driver assistance systems.

As mentioned, the new Hiace will be launched first in the Philippines followed by other Asian countries, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Mexico. Oddly enough, in Japan, the old Hiace model will continue to be sold.