You can get the Toyota Veloz as a hybrid in Indonesia; will PH get it?

Toyota’s electrification of its lineup continues, as we’ve seen. With the addition of more battery electric vehicles, the automaker also continues to augment its mass market offerings with hybrids, especially those based on the Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA) platform. 

Late last year, we saw that Toyota was developing a hybrid version of the Veloz MPV, and a few months later, we finally saw that launch in Indonesia. The Veloz Hybrid essentially takes the current MPV and gives it the electrified underpinnings found in the likes of the Yaris Cross or Ativ.

That means it uses the 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine (2NR-VEX), an electric motor, and a lithium-ion battery. The engine alone produces 91 horsepower and 121Nm, and the electric motor punches out 80 horsepower and 141Nm of torque, with a total system output of 111 horsepower, mated to a CVT.

This is yet to be the biggest model that the setup is mated to, considering that it is a seven-seater, but as Toyota mentioned before—the powertrain has been tuned specifically for this model.

With four variants, it starts with the V Hybrid EV that’s priced at IDR 303,000,000 (~Php 1.026-million), and tops out with the Q Hybrid EV Modellista TSS at IDR 385,000,000 (~Php 1.304-million).

The standard V and Q models resemble our current Veloz sans the black overfenders, but the Modellista variants come with distinct touches, such as a two-tone finish, painting the roof, mirrors, 17-inch alloy wheels, and door handles in black, with dark chrome accents on the grille, foglamp trim, and rear badge.

The headlights are now smoked, and the front and rear bumper garnish, overfenders, and side moulding come with Modellista parts.

The cabin comes in a new all-black finish with new black leather and fabric seats, with blue accents on the dashboard and door cards, a larger 10-inch infotainment with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

There’s a flip-down rear screen on the Q Hybrid Modellista variants, a digital instrument cluster, wireless charger, automatic climate control, and a leather steering wheel. The top-of-the-line model gets the Toyota Safety Sense suite of advanced driver assistance systems, too.

This Veloz is produced in Indonesia, where Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) also sources that (and the Avanza) as well, so this is now a matter of time if we will see this model introduced to our market. And as we mentioned before, this is the prime time for TMP to steal the thunder from Mitsubishi Motors Philippines, as the highly anticipated Xpander HEV has not yet been launched locally yet.

^{Photos from Toyota Indonesia}