Toyota Global has launched the new Toyota Aqua Hybrid last week. And the most significant feature of this new car is its fuel average as the company has claimed that this second generation has 20% improved fuel efficiency as compared to the last generation, as the manufacturer claims that it will give 35.8km/litre with a 1.5L engine.
Furthermore, the car comes with an All-Wheel Drive Version and bidirectional charging. This type of charging is commonly linked with pure Electric Vehicles (EVs). All variants of this new Aqua will have an accessory power outlet (1,500W) as standard, along with an Emergency Power Supply Mode, meaning it will allow electricity to be drawn from the vehicle for external use during blackouts.
All-New Battery:
The company has installed an all-new high-output bipolar nickel-hydrogen battery in the car. The last generation had a nickel-hydrogen battery. The new battery gives almost double output, improved acceleration, and smooth linear acceleration.
Safety Features:
Toyota is offering a number of safety features in the car, including:
- Pre-Collision Safety Functions
- Full-Speed Range Radar Cruise Control
- Lane Tracing Assist (LTA)
- Advanced Park and Parking Support Brake
New Platform and Exterior:
The company has introduced the car on a new TNGA-B platform, meaning a high-rigidity body, exceptional quietness and stable ride. Furthermore, the wheelbase of the new Aqua has been extended by 50mm, providing greater space, especially for passengers in the rear seats.
The unified cabin of the car is coupled with rear fenders, which gives the car a smart and dynamic exterior. The company has introduced it in 9 colors, including newly-developed Clear Beige.
Interior:
The interior has soft and synthetic leather power seats, armrests, and ornaments, giving a very simple and clean look. The new Aqua is the first Toyota compact car with a large 10.5-inch audio display for outstanding visibility and operability.
Bookings and Sale:
As per Japanese media reports, the company has so far received orders for 15,000 new Aqua units until last week. The company is aiming to sell 9,800 units per month. It is pertinent to mention that Toyota has sold 1.87 million Aqua (1st Generation) compact units globally since December 2011.
Price:
The price for the base variant is $18,000, while the rate for the all-paw E-Four model (top of the line) is $23,600.
In my reckoning hybrid cars are damn expensive. Though they are fuel efficient but one has to pay more than double of the price vis a vis normal Petrol engine. In accordance with price stats, cost of fuel is not saved rather becomes more expensive. One may calculate petrol expenditure on monthly basis and amount spent to buy Hybrid cars. I won’t go for hybrid car unless price is reduced!
All wheel drive! That is amazing.
35.8 KM per liter sounds amazing but real life fuel average is perhaps 24-28 km per liter as the Japanese testing cycle has always been a tad too optimistic in my experience. At least the interior looks on point – the old one was meh.