Toyota Hiace

The interior of the sixth-generation Toyota Hiace GL Grandia Tourer is a huge improvement from its earlier version. The cabin is among the biggest in class. Even with all the 14 seats occupied, the van has enough legroom for all passengers. Unlike the four rows of seats in the Commuter variant, the seating configuration of the Hiace GL Grandia Tourer is in the 2-2-3-3-4 format. This gives passengers more space to crawl out if the need arises. The van comes with enough headroom for all occupants. Persons with a height of five feet can stand straight in the cabin without having to duck. There’s still a lot of headroom for taller passengers.

While Toyota has used some hard plastics inside the cabin, these doesn’t look cheap. Hard plastics keep the production cost and the asking price low. The plastic on the dashboard and doors are durable, and finished in matte panels.   

The seats are a combination of faux-leather and cloth in a dual-tone color combination. The two-tone enhances the look of the cabin which is otherwise quite plain. The cloth does get dirty over time but the faux-leather retains its durability pretty well even after daily use.

The seats are fairly comfortable for long-time travel. The back support is nice. Passengers won’t have to frequently readjust their seating position in the Toyota Hiace GL Grandia Tourer. Being a 14-seater, the passenger seats aren’t adjustable. But that hardly matters in a huge and spacious van like the Hiace.

Passenger and boot space 

The 2023 Toyota GL Grandia Tourer has one of the biggest cabin spaces among rivals. The seating arrangement is well spaced out. Unlike other minivans, the Toyota Hiace offers comfortable seating. Noise insulation is up to standard but should have been better. A bit of outside wind noise does enter the cabin. The suspension system does its job well, though the occasional big bump or pothole is felt inside the cabin. But that doesn’t disturb the ride quality. The dual-zone air-conditioner cools the cabin pretty fast.

With all seats up, the cargo space isn’t much big. However, there’s space beneath the seats to keep luggage in the all-seats-up mode. There’s lots of storage spaces around the cabin. Folding the rear bench down and out of the way increases the boot space.  

Comfort and entertainment

The Toyota Hiace GL Grandia Tourer comes with a 6.0-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with Bluetooth. It makes the dashboard quite attractive for a minivan. But Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support is missing. The tachometer is easy to read, adding to the ease of driving. Even the last row of seats have great stability and offers good back-support for long rides. There are several multifunctional storage spaces along with a large glove box.    

The 2023 Toyota Hiace GL Grandia Tourer comes with a refreshed styling on the outside. The van is immense in size, and from some angles, look like a minibus. Toyota has retained the halogen fog lamps and headlights in the refreshed version. But the Hiace still looks plain compared to some of its rivals. Notable additions include the extended rearview mirror that proves that the Hiace GL Grandia Tourer is indeed a large vehicle. The roofline is high, leading to the increased headroom in the cabin. There’s only one door on the passenger side to maximize cabin space. The Hiace does come with a rear door but lacks a power-lift gate. Even the closing mechanism is hard and the door shuts with a thud. The taillights are plain. The Toyota Hiace isn’t a looker. The huge cabin space is the biggest takeaway here.  

What are the dimensions of the 2023 Toyota Hiace?

The Toyota Hiace minivan measures 5,915mm in length, 1,950mm in breadth, and 2,280mm in height. The wheelbase is of 3,860mm. 

What is the ground clearance of the 2023 Toyota Hiace?

The minivan’s ground clearance is 185mm. It’s the same as in the Toyota Innova Zenix.  

The fuel economy of the Toyota Hiace GL Grandia Tourer is nothing to boast of. But that’s understandable since the minivan is a people carrier. In city traffic, the 2023 Toyota Hiace returns a mileage of around 5kmpl, which isn’t bad considering the vehicle’s size and the price of the diesel engine. On highways, the fuel economy increases admirably to 12kmpl. The aerodynamic properties of the Toyota Hiace probably add to the fuel economy on highways.

The 2023 Toyota Hiace GL Grandia Tourer is a big car. The size could be initially intimidating for some drivers not used to command minivans this big. The three-spoke multifunction steering is a bit on the heavier side, and it needs some practice to get used to. Despite its size, handling the Toyota Hiace isn’t difficult. The vehicle is easy to maneuver on city streets. Sedan-like handling of course would be too much to ask from the Hiace. The vehicle’s pickup isn’t great, but once it gets into the groove, the van offers a very stable ride. With a low ground clearance, body roll is minimum. The 16-inch wheels offer good traction.   

The Toyota HiAce GL Grandia Tourer is equipped with a turbocharged, four-cylinder, 2.8-liiter diesel engine which produces 163PS maximum power and 420Nm peak torque. The motor is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission (AT). The engine is actually a detuned version of the Hilux and Fortuner. The Hiace is mounted on the new Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform. The van has MacPherson struts in the front and a new rigid, leaf-spring combination at the back. The suspension setup makes the van well-balanced, particularly on bumpy roads. 

The 2.8-liter engine, at times, does feel underpowered to haul 14 people along with cargo. But it still gets the job done. The powertrain starts to struggle after the vehicle crosser 100kmph. The gearbox isn’t seamlessly mated to the engine and power delivery is a bit delayed. Toyota must look into the issue. The gear operation, however, is smooth.

A 3.0-liter diesel engine is also available for the standard Toyota Hiace Commuter trim. The body construction remains the same for all models. The motor is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission (MT) and produces 136 PS maximum power and 300 Nm peak torque. 

Is the 2023 Toyota Hiace available in petrol?

No. The car is available only in diesel.

The Toyota Hiace comes with an impressive list of safety equipment. But it’s not cutting edge. Some of the equipment vary according to the trim. The Toyota Hiace GL Grandia Tourer gets antilock braking, brake assist, hill-start assist, rear parking sensors, engine immobilizer, and vehicle stability control as part of standard equipment. There are three-point seatbelts for all occupants. The GL Grandia Tourer gets a backup camera as standard, though the coverage area is small. The speed-sensing door locking system is a notable miss from the lower trims of the Toyota Hiace.    

How many airbags does the 2023 Toyota Hiace have? 

The car comes with two airbags for the driver and the front-passenger.

How many cameras does the 2023 Toyota Hiace have?

The minivan comes with one backup camera.

Value for money

The price of the Toyota Hiace starts at ₱‎ 1.166 million for the standard model. The GL Grand Touring trim is priced at ₱‎ 2.229 million. Considering the comfort and features offered in the minivan, the Toyota Hiace is an extremely value-for-money car. It does miss out on a few driver-assist features, but that doesn’t interfere with the ride quality. Besides, the Hiace comes with Toyota reliability, one of the most trusted car brands in the world.

Warranty

Toyota offers a five-year/150,000km warranty (whichever is earlier) across all models in the Hiace series. That aside, the company is offering ₱‎20,000 cash discount on all bookings of the GL Grand Tourer.

Are the original spare parts of the 2023 Toyota Hiace available in the Philippines?

Yes, all original spare parts of the Toyota Hiace minivan are available at the company’s dealerships and service centers. Toyota has recently introduced an express maintenance scheme where service is guaranteed within one hour of receiving the car, compared to two hours under the regular system.  

2023 Toyota Hiace vs Nissan NV350 Urvan

Both the Toyota Hiace and Nissan NV350 Urvan are great minivans for Filipino families. The Hiace is bigger in all-round dimensions and have a large and spacious cabin. Travelling comfort in both vehicles are largely the same. The engine of the Toyota Hiace Grandia is a bit more powerful. The safety equipment too are almost similar. But the Hiace comes in more number of seating combinations then the NV350 Urvan. The Nissan minivan has a higher starting price at ₱1.199 million.‎  

2023 Toyota Hiace vs Maxus V80

China-made automobiles are increasingly making their presence felt in the Asia-Pacific market. The Maxus V80 is one such vehicle in the Philippines minivan segment. The V80 too is a family carrier with a large cabin that offers a comfortable ride. The 2.5-liter diesel engine of the Maxus V80 is marginally less powerful than the Toyota Hiace. But that doesn’t affect its ride quality. Driver-assist features and safety equipment in both vans are almost similar. But the Toyota Hiace comes with more seating options than the Maxus V80. Handling-wise, the Hiace scores over the V80. The Japanese minivan also has a lower starting price than its Chinese counterpart.  

2023 Toyota Hiace vs Foton Transvan 

The Foton Transvan is an executive-style minivan that has been steadily gaining popularity. It comes with a powerful 2.7-liter diesel engine which has a pretty good maximum power output at 148PS. Foton has tried to balance practicality with premium bits in the Transvan. The interior looks more plush then the Hiace. But The Toyota Hiace has always been the benchmark in the affordable minivan segment and leads the Transvan in function over form. The Foton Trasnsvan is priced marginally higher than the Hiace at ₱1.168 million.      

Is the 2023 Toyota Hiace worth buying?

The Toyota Hiace is certainly not the best-looking minivan in the Philippines market. It’s also not the most affordable. But space-wise, it’s the tallest and biggest and offers a very comfortable ride. The best part is the van’s versatility. It comes with a maximum seating arrangement of 14 people. For ferrying a large party with seemingly endless legroom and headroom, there’s no better option than the Toyota Hiace. There are a number of better equipped, executive-class minivans out there. But none of them can match the functionality of the Hiace. The ride quality is smooth with the well-balanced suspension system. The passenger door is large for easy entry and exit. Considering all the factors, the 2023 Toyota Hiace is definitely worth buying.