Lap of luxury: 2024 Toyota Alphard, Vellfire Z Premier unveiled

After months of teasing, several spy shots, and leaks; the real deal is finally here. Toyota has taken the covers off its fourth-generation 2024 Alphard/Vellfire luxury minivan; making good on its "mobility for all" statement, a new Welcab 'accessibility' version has been added to the lineup.

The all-new Alphard and Vellfire use the brand’s ‘Forceful x IMPACT LUXURY’ exterior design theme mimicking a fighting bull in full charge. To achieve this, the designers incorporated dynamic irregularities stretching front to back.

Both models use a minivan-optimized TNGA GA-K platform. It adopts straight rockers and a V-shaped brace in the rear-lower part of the vehicle to improve rigidity by 50% versus its predecessor. It has a MacPherson strut front suspension with an updated double-wishbone rear suspension and shock absorbers that mechanically adjust damping force based on the frequency of vibrations transmitted from the road surface.

Second-row passengers will not suffer from vibrations any longer because engineers used rubber bushings in the attachment portions of the cushion frames and memory foam in the backrests and armrests. Additional anti-vibration measures were implemented to further reduce road surface vibrations for occupants.

In the cabin, space between the front and second-row seats went up by 5 mm while space between the second and third rows gained an extra 10 mm. The result is high passenger comfort wherever you are seated. For ease of use, lighting, switches, and air conditioning vents are now in the Super-Long Overhead Console in the center of the ceiling, which makes it easy for passengers to open windows and adjust lighting wherever they are seated.

The ‘Universal Steps’ feature debuts in the Alphard and Vellfire. It is on the right and left-hand-side sliding doors. When the side doors open, a step emerges approximately 220 mm above the ground, lowering the height of the first step for passengers entering or exiting the vehicle. Long assist grips designed for easy use by occupants of all shapes and sizes are also positioned on the C pillars and both sides of the ceiling to ensure comfortable entry and exit.

Toyota’s first-ever pull-down car shades are now available on the second and third row, while the moonroof uses independently operable right and left-side shades so that some occupants can choose to see the sky while others choose to block out the sunlight.

Like every high-end Toyota, the Alphard and the Vellfire use Toyota Safety Sense with Proactive Driving Assist - Intra-Lane Steering Assist and Deceleration Assist when Turning at Intersections, Advanced Park, and Advanced Drive.

The 2024 Alphard has two trims – Z and Executive Lounge. The former has two engine options, a 2.5-liter gas engine carried over from the previous generation (179 PS) and a new Series Parallel Hybrid System with a 2.5-liter A25A-FXS engine. The conventional powertrain uses a Super Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT-i), while the hybrid model has an electric CVT.

The 2024 Vellfire has two variants – Z Premier and the Executive Lounge. The base model uses a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine and a Direct-Shift 8-speed AT while the hybrid uses the same engine and transmission as the Alphard hybrid.

Toyota also debuts the Alphard G model with a side lift-up tilt-seat model called Welcab. The second-row seats lift and protrude beyond the vehicle side doors to make ingress and egress easier for occupants. These seats also tilt to help passengers stand up from a sitting position. For added convenience, the lift-up seat also features a new seatbelt plate arm to make the seatbelt easier to pull out and a new remote-control holder.

The first market to get these models is Japan, but expect the Alphard, Vellfire, and even the Welcab to reach other countries within the year. When it will make it to the Philippines is anyone's guess.