Why isn’t the Toyota Alphard people mover sold in Australia?

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In June, Toyota pulled the covers off its new Alphard people mover which is closely related to the more premium Lexus LM people mover. 

Powered by petrol and petrol-hybrid engines and priced from AUD$57,600 in Japan, the new Alphard won’t be available in Australia … for now. 

Pricing tops out at the equivalent of AUD$93,120 for the hybrid Executive Lounge variant with all-wheel drive. 

That’s significantly cheaper than what Chasing Cars has estimated will be the cost of the new Lexus LM, which could top out north of $200,000 locally for the high-spec Takumi grade. 

However, a spokesperson from Toyota Australia told Chasing Cars regarding the Alphard that “Toyota is always considering exciting new models as they become available for our market, but we have no announcements to make today”. 

What features are offered in the new Toyota Alphard?

Three powertrains are available for the new Alphard, including a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine or a 2.5-litre series-parallel hybrid setup. Both are offered in the choice of front- or all-wheel drive.

The 2.5-litre petrol-hybrid produces a total system power output of 184kW. The 2.5-litre petrol engine produces 134kW/235Nm.

A higher-spec Vellfire model uses the relatively-new 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, which is also found in the new Toyota Kluger, the new US Tacoma and the Lexus NX 350.  

Standard equipment for the Toyota people mover is extensive, and includes:

• 14-inch centre display
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster 
• Universal side steps 
• Pull down sun shades
• Three-lens LED headlights 
• Leather multi-function steering wheel
• Eight-way power driver seat 
• Four-way power front passenger seat 
• Premium nappa seats with second-row lounge 
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Digital rear view mirror (inside)
• Moonroof with central control panel
• 14-inch entertainment screen for rear passengers
• Multi-operation phone-like panel for climate control

Granvia likely to be Toyota’s offering… for now

Toyota’s current people mover offering in Australia is the Granvia, however it is not sold in large numbers locally. 

The flagship Granvia VX is currently priced from $83,937 driveway and features the following specification features:

• 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine 
• Six- or eight-seater layout options 
• 8.0-inch touchscreen 
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Automatic sliding doors 
• Power adjustable second- and third-row seats
• 12-speaker Pioneer sound system
• Rear ‘Ottoman’ captain’s chairs
• Quilted leather upholstery
• Woodgrain steering wheel
• 360-degree camera
• Nine airbags 

It’s interesting to note that the rear-drive Granvia only comes with the option of a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine, rather than a hybrid engine that is more common in the greater Toyota lineup. 

What is the most popular people mover in Australia?

According to the latest June 2023 VFACTS sales report, the number-one selling people mover under $70,000 here in Australia was the Kia Carnival, which has sold 5745 units so far in 2023. 

Some way behind was the Hyundai Staria with 700 units, and then the Volkswagen Multivan with 400 units so far in 2023. 

In the price bracket above $70,000, the best-selling people mover was the Mercedes-Benz V-Class that has sold just 192 units so far in 2023. 

The Mercedes-Benz Vito was in second place with the Vito/eVito selling 75 units. 

The Toyota Granvia, however, sold just 60 units so far in 2023. In June alone, the Granvia only sold 13 units. 

To compare, in Japan throughout 2022, the Toyota Alphard sold 60,225 units.