Toyota drives in self-charging hybrid electric Vellfire sporting a ₹ 79.5 lakh price tag

Japanese automotive major Toyota, which in India operates through a joint venture with Kirloskar, has unveiled the Vellfire – a self-charging,hybrid electric, luxury multi-purpose vehicle – priced at Rs.79.5 lakh ex-showroom.

A product well received globally – selling six lakh units in other markets – the Vellfire seems to have struck a chord with customers in India too with Senior Vice President of Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) Naveen Soni saying the first three shipments had already been sold out.

From Japan, as a CBU

Stating that each shipment consists of 60 units, he said 20 per cent of the 180 bookings were from Hyderabad, something that made the company roll out the luxury offering nationally from the City of Pearls on Wednesday. The Vellfire is imported from Japan, as a CBU (completely built unit), and three shipments are going to arrive, one each a month, till April.

Mr.Soni, however, refused to specify the sale targets the company is pursuing for Vellfire.

Describing India as a market with big potential for such luxury vehicles, TKM Managing Director Masakazu Yoshimura said no allocation has been made by the Japanese parent for the Indian market. It would actually depend on the market in the country, he added.

Destination sustainable mobility

“Globally, we have a caravan of luxury offerings and the launch of Vellfire in India marks a significant moment in our journey. The launch 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,” he said, adding, without sharing specifics, that more offerings have been lined up.

Targetted at the ultra rich, the vehicle boasts of luxurious and spacious interiors and delivers a powerful driving experience while ensuring low fuel consumption and carbon footprints. The 2.5-litre 4-cylinder gasoline hybrid engine offers 86 kW (115 BHP) power and a max torque of 198 Nm @2800-4000 rpm. It is rated for a fuel efficiency of 16.35 km/litre.

Zero emission mode at 40:60

The Vellfire engine which is also coupled with two electric motors, and a hybrid battery ensures low emissions. The company said studies have shown that strong hybrid vehicles like Vellfire are capable of running 40 per cent of distance and 60 per cent of time on electric or zero emission mode with the engine off. A release said the price will be same across the country at ex-showroom level, except in Kerala.

Besides the features that define its spaciousness inside, the Vellfire has a three-zone AC, 16-colour ambient roof illumination, twin sunroof, one-touch power slide side doors, seven airbags, Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM), which is a proactive safety feature for providing stability to the vehicle based on vehicle performance control technology and panoramic view monitor.

TKM Vice Chairman Vikram Kirloskar said customers in India were eagerly looking forward to the Vellfire rollout for sometime now.