2018 Toyota Rush: Features explained

To heat up the MPV segment, even more, Toyota launched its brand-new Rush in the Philippines not that long ago. What appears to be a baby Toyota Fortuner, the 2018 Rush is a very well built MPV or more likely an entry-level SUV. But don’t get confused with the ‘baby’ tag when we refer the Rush as a baby Fortuner because by no means it’s a baby. It is a hefty-looking car that with the capability of intimidating others of its category. Here are some of its key features explained.

Large chrome grille

Toyota has used a lot of chrome in the design of the front grille of the Rush. The wide and broad horizontal chrome slats bring out the intimidating look of the Rush. Toyota has brilliantly managed to align these slats perfectly with the headlights of the car.

LED headlamps

Talking about headlamps, the Rush features full LED units with daytime running lights. The sharp design of the headlamps depicts an aggressive and mean look without losing out on the modern look. In short, the combination of the headlamps and the front chrome grille is what defines the Toyota Rush from the front.

Sharp alloy wheel design

The top-of-the-line model of the 2018 Toyota Rush comes with 17-inch alloy wheels that are striking to look at. They are very sporty and dynamic and seems to be taken off of a sports car. The lower end model has a size lower, 16-inch, but has the same design.

High ground clearance

Toyota Rush offers a ground clearance of 220 mm which is quite a lot. This makes you sit high and gives you a commanding driving position. This, in turn, boosts your confidence level while taking this baby elephant out on the roads. The high ground clearance not only makes it easier for the Rush to handle the undulations of the roads without a fuss, but it might also give the car certain mild off-road capability.

1.5L dual VVT-i engine

Looking at Toyota Rush specs, under its hood is a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder dual VVT-i engine that has been tuned to produce a max power of 102 PS at 6,000 rpm. The peak torque of 134 Nm kicks in at 4,200 rpm. These numbers are more than sufficient to provide the Rush with enough juice to handle what the daily life scenarios throw at it. The engine is mated to either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 4-speed automatic unit.

Seating options and trunk capacity

The Toyota Rush is available in two seating options, 5-seater and 7-seater. Making this optional was a good move by Toyota as it allows the customer to have a freedom of choice and he/she can pick the one as per his/her requirements. Depending on which variant you pick, the trunk space of the Rush will vary. The 5-seater model has got 514-litre of trunk space whereas the 7-seater variant will give you only 213-litre at the back. However, you can extend this space by folding the rear seats.

Engine start-stop button

Just like any other modern-day car, the Toyota Rush, too, has got an engine start-stop button. This is a welcome addition which enhances the premiumness of the car by a bit. We also like the fact that Toyota has made this feature as standard across all the variants of the Rush.

Touchscreen audio system

Inside the cabin of the Toyota Rush, you’ll find a 7-inch touchscreen audio system located at the centre of the dashboard. This audio system has various connectivity options like Bluetooth, AUX, USB, and Weblink for iOS and Android to take care of your music needs. It also supports CD/MP3. The higher variant of the Rush gets 8 speakers whereas the lower variant has to settle with only 6.

Safety features

All the variants of the Toyota Rush come with many safety features as standard. These features include 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, vehicle stability control, hill start assist, traction control, etc.

Price, color, and variants

The Toyota Rush is available in two variants in the Philippines - 1.5E and 1.5G. While both the variants share the same engine, the former is available in either a manual or an automatic gearbox whereas the latter comes with only an automatic transmission. The Toyota Rush price starts at Php 948,000 for the base model with M/T. Both the variants are available in 6 color options - White, Silver Mica Metallic, Bronze Mica Metallic, Black Metallic, Dark Red Mica Metallic, and Bordeaux Mica Metallic.