2019 Toyota Hiace: Variants explained

The Hiace is one of the best people-carrier in the Philippines. It has been doing its duties in various fields for many years now. In all those years, it never complained and kept moving forward. However, with the passing time, it started to show signs of ageing which was noticed by Toyota. As a result, we now have a new and updated model of the Hiace.

Recently, Toyota Philippines unveiled the 2019 Hiace in the Philippines not only for us but for the entire world. It was a world premiere and the first time when the Philippines was given the honour to host a world premiere of such a grand scale.

The all-new 2019 Toyota Hiace is a much-deserved upgrade. No one would have said it out loud that the Hiace needed to be upgraded but we all knew it was necessary and we silently hoped it would come soon. And it has now arrived. We must say that we are very impressed by the new model and so would be you if you check out its first impressions.

The new Toyota Hiace in the Philippines comes in five variants - Commuter Deluxe MT, GL Grandia MT, GL Grandia AT, GL Grandia Tourer MT, and GL Grandia Tourer AT. There are a few key differences between these variants. We will try to cover them up in this story.

Exterior

In terms of looks, all the variants are more or less the same. They have got a pair of distinctive headlamps that come with a sharp and aggressive design and are one of the most striking elements overall. Since the engine in the new Hiace is no longer located under the driver’s seat, the front end is now a bit protruded. This allowed Toyota to give a good shape to the front fascia and accommodate some attractive features.

The rear end of all the variants has got a larger tail light setup than before. They are still laid out vertically but have grown in size. They look nicer and cover a larger area which is also great for visibility.

The lower-end variants of the 2019 Hiace come with a black front bumper whereas the higher-end ones get a slightly light bronze colored unit. Also, there is no cladding on the sides in the more affordable variants. Toyota has provided some body-cladding that is of the same light bronze color we just talked about and comes in the top-end models. Another clear difference between the base and higher-end variants are the LED daytime running lights and fog lamps that are located on the front bumper.

The 2019 Toyota Hiace specs will tell you that it has grown in dimensions when compared to the predecessor. However, not all the variants are of equal size. The Commuter Deluxe and GL Grandia models measure 5265 mm long, 1950 mm wide, and 1990 mm tall with a wheelbase of 3210mm. Whereas the much larger GL Grandia Tourer measures 5912 mm in length, 1950 mm in width, stands 2280 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 3860 mm.

Interior

Talking about the interior, the dashboard of the new Hiace is designed keeping the driver in mind. That’s why all the necessary controls are well within the driver’s reach. Also, there is a revised centre console, instrument cluster, and new HVAC controls. The seating capacity of the new Hiace differs variant-wise. The Commuter model can seat 17 people, the GL Tourer can accommodate 14, and the GL can carry 12 at the max. The cabin theme, materials used, and the fit and finish of the parts are the same in all variants.

Engine

All the 2019 Toyota Hiace variants come with the same engine. It is a 2.8-litre 4-cylinder turbo-diesel mill which replaces the 3.0-litre  unit of the previous model. Interestingly, even though the engine is the same across all the variants, Toyota has tuned it differently to suit the needs of individual variants. The one in Commuter Deluxe churns out 176 PS of max power and 420 Nm of peak torque, whereas the GL Grandia has got the same amount of power but gets a higher 450 Nm of torque. As far as the transmission is concerned, the base model comes in only a manual gearbox, and the models above it have got an option of a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Safety features

The 2019 Hiace comes with ABS and dual front airbags as standard across all the variants. We always wish for having more standard safety features but giving these as standard is also a good thing. The Commuter Deluxe variant of the Hiace has an added centre airbag. And the Grandia variants come with stability control and hill start assist. It is the Tourer variant that is the safest of all as it has all the aforementioned features and disc brakes all around. Other variants get disc brakes only at the front.

The 2019 Toyota Hiace price starts at Php 1.59 million for the base model. This figure rises and reaches Php 2.22 million for the range-topping model that comes with an automatic gearbox. As far as the color options go, the GL Grandia Tourer AT and GL Grandia Tourer MT are available in Luxury Pearl Toning, Silver Mica Metallic, and a special Light Blue Metallic color. Instead of the special color, the GL Grandia MT and GL Grandia AT get Black Mica along with the other two options. The base Commuter Deluxe MT variant gets only Silver Mica Metallic and White.