Toyota Vellfire 30 Series
Toyota Alphard has split to Alphard and Vellfire since the second generation. Vellfire was first released in Japan in 2002 as a more leisure-oriented and sporty option of MPV (Multi-purpose Vehicles). Vellfire always considered as a direct competitor of the Nissan Elgrand, but there is still much difference between these two models, which will be analyzed in another post.
Like Alphard, Vellfire also comes in Hybrid form and Petrol form. And similar to Alphard in the Australia market, the most popular imported generation is the third generation. Even we can find both Vellfire Petrol 30 Series and Vellfire Hybrid 30 Series easily on the Australia market nowadays, it is not hard to notice that the import volume of Vellfire is much less than Alphard. It is believed that it is because the customer base is different between Japan and Australia. With the sporty character, Vellfire is designed for the younger group customers in the first place. In Japan, younger customers choose MPV as their family car, while in Australia, young customers may prefer different models more like the SUV.
The front and rear design of Vellfire has been different with Alphard to show its leisure-oriented character from the first generation. And the exterior design of the third generation was upgraded again for the third generation to emphasize the sporty element with the all-new aero body kit, including front and rear bumpers, and side skirts.
For the interior design, Vellfire also expresses its luxury character with the second-row business class ottoman seats, butterfly headrests, long slide leg rest, and the power-adjustable and heater function. The same design with Alphard includes but not limited to the extra-large cargo space, large assist grip, and the extra storage space.
The exterior color options for Vellfire are slightly different with Alphard. Customers could choose from the pearl crystal white, the sparkling black, the crystal shine blue, and the glass flakes purple. Unlike the most popular white color for Alphard, the sparkling black is the most common choice for Vellfire’s customers.