Two for the Pinoy roads
It was a Toyota-driving experience for me recently, as I was fortunate to get behind the wheel of two vehicles: the Hybrid Altis and the newest Avanza.
“The Philippines is not yet ready for a full electric vehicle,” said Toyota’s Aries P. Alconaba. “Let’s be honest, the government has other priorities at the moment, so the need to add charging ports for full electric vehicles are not yet in place.”
It was over lunch with the Toyota PR team that our conversation revolved around what a cleaner world we would have if all countries were electric vehicle-ready.
What was the driving experience like in the Hybrid Toyota Altis?
I was given a few days with the Toyota Altis Hybrid and there is much to love about the convenience of a hybrid vehicle as a self-charging car. I must say that it was my quietest driving experience in a long time.
“The Hybrid charges on its own; when you are at a stop (stepping on the brakes) or accelerating, the car charges,” said Aries. “Since the country is not yet ready for full electric cars, Toyota has opted to market hybrid vehicles because that is what Toyota sees as the future of cars here — for now.”
Aries added, “Toyota is ready to introduce full electric vehicles, as we have done in other countries. But we need to know that when we do, the country will be ready for it when the time comes.”
The look — and more
Toyota’s hybrid looks like any other Corolla Altis, with its handsome styling. Truth be told, everyone who looked at the Altis Hybrid told me that the car was just “wow.”
Details like the vivid trim in the headlights and the Toyota logos set it apart from non-hybrid variants. I also liked the interesting choice of wheels: two-tone, 17-inch alloys, which complement the Corolla Altis Hybrid’s lines well.
Although I did not have much time to load the car with my usual weekend stuff (groceries), I did pop up the trunk and found the space quite adequate.
As I went inside, I was impressed by the full leather interiors and electric driver’s seat, making it easy to get comfy at first sit. I noticed the rear air-conditioning vents and rear sunshade so passengers can lounge in the fairly roomy back seat. Add to that a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
Just start
All went quiet when I pressed the start button in the Corolla Altis Hybrid. I asked myself if the car had even started. But as soon as I put my rubber to the metal, the Hybrid started quietly — and began running.
I noticed that all systems were running through the battery pack, and the engine only turned on when I needed it to.
I could not be happier at the quiet drive (I love the quiet), opting not to turn on the radio when I am alone. The Hybrid was whisper-quiet at idle and low speeds, automatically running on EV Mode to save more fuel.
I was informed that the brakes are also quite interesting because they have a regenerative braking system. The Hybrid gathers energy from using the brakes to help charge the battery.
Under the hood, the Corolla Altis Hybrid has a 1.8-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 gasoline engine with an electric motor.
I needed more me time with the Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid — that would have been a blast.
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Advance with the Avanza
The other drive was the 2023 Toyota Avanza with its three-tier front lighting. Now, the Avanza is what I consider a family car, and for me this Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) comes with all the features that protect my most precious passengers: my furry babies.
The Toyota Avanza is a small MPV that combines practicality and cost-effectiveness, which makes it perfect for drivers like me. It is a popular car choice, seeing that almost every other vehicle on the road is an Avanza or Veloz.
Its popularity comes from its flexibility and capabilities as a seven-seat MPV.
The new styling includes less chrome on the front grille and removed strip at the side, along with smaller and sleeker headlamps.
What was of great interest to me was the fact that the trunk space can be made bigger by folding the rear seats. Weekend travel is never complete without my furbabies, and they must be comfy in the rear space I assign to them.
The Toyota Avanza drives like I expected it to — it gets the job done without an excessive amount of power. The small MPV was able to pull itself with my family of three doggos loaded.
One of the most important things was the maneuverability of the Avanza. I find this feature a must, especially when I hear noise coming from my usually quiet passengers.
The Toyota Avanza comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities along with Bluetooth and Aux-in connectivity. It was a hot day so the cooling of the air-conditioning at the rear pleasantly surprised me.
All variants of the Toyota Avanza have the same safety features: dual airbags up front, while the other passengers have 3-point seatbelts to which I attached the harness of my three companions.
It was a fun drive I had and my companions spent most of their time sleeping or looking up to see who was outside their windows.
Weekend driving, staying safe and loving the smooth ride — these are what great weekends are made of.
Destination: unknown. Just drive.
