Translated from the Thai original · Read the original in Thai
The Z grade in detail: the 2.5-litre drivetrain, the redesigned doors and side steps, the ten-way second-row seats, the twin moonroof, the 14-inch screens, the Lexus LM chassis and the full Toyota Safety Sense suite.
When the subject is a large MPV with five to seven seats, the first name that comes to mind, and the one in demand today, is the Toyota Alphard. It is a genuine multi-purpose vehicle: spacious, with room for seven, able to carry a great deal of luggage, and, importantly, luxuriously and beautifully designed. That is why the Alphard became the popular MPV.
This year Toyota launched the New Alphard Z 2024, the newest version, upgraded with countless interesting functions. For anyone interested in a large MPV that is both luxurious and strong on performance, here is the New Alphard Z 2024 point by point: what is interesting, and what is better than before.
The essentials
The New Alphard Z 2024 comes with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 182 hp at 6,000 rpm and 235 Nm at 4,100 rpm, through a Super CVT-i automatic transmission and front-wheel drive, with a 75-litre fuel tank. As MPVs go, its performance takes second place to no one. At the rear, the Alphard badge has been moved and enlarged so it is seen more clearly, to show off the luxury and announce the car as a Toyota Alphard, and badges have been added to both the driver’s and the passenger’s doors. The car has also grown: 65 mm longer and 55 mm taller, and with the extra size comes more usable space.
Doors that make life easier
Beyond the size and the design carried forward from earlier generations, the New Alphard Z 2024 has a redesigned door-opening system. The handle has a push button to open, with no need to pull as before, and the tailgate has an automatic switch beside the tail lamp. The rear door is electric, with anti-pinch protection and a memory for its stopping position, so it is more convenient and safer to use, and there is no more worrying about fingers caught in the door.
The New Alphard Z 2024 also adds side steps on both sides, to make it easier for rear passengers to climb aboard.
Luxury and comfort inside
What makes the New Alphard Z 2024 interesting is not only the outside. The interior has been designed and developed to be more luxurious and more comfortable than before. The seats are still electric, but wider, with larger headrests. The second-row passenger seats are independent, adjust in ten directions, and have electric leg rests, with the extra of both cooling and heating, which makes them more comfortable than before on short journeys and long ones alike, with no worry about fatigue, because the function helps you relax. The seat stitching is picked out in gold against the black upholstery, luxurious and beautiful, and pairs well with the cup holders at the side. Each seat has its own USB-C socket, left and right, so nobody has to fight over one.
The overhead console is designed differently from earlier generations: a super-long overhead console that runs above the second and third rows, so every seat can open the window opposite. Another highlight not to be missed is the twin moonroof, split left and right and independently opened and closed as you please. The overhead ambient lighting changes colour, with up to 50 shades to choose from, and there are two new overhead storage compartments for the middle and rear passengers, handy for small items.
Multifunction screens
The screens are another point of interest in the New Alphard Z 2024. The front screen is a larger touchscreen than before, a 14-inch multifunction display with navigation and T-Connect, easier to use and clearer to see, and it connects to Apple CarPlay wirelessly. The rear passenger screen is also 14 inches, with the Smart Comfort Program and JBL speakers in 15 positions around the car, so films and music are enjoyed in full.
A better chassis
In performance terms, the New Alphard Z 2024 has a newly developed and designed suspension: MacPherson struts at the front and double wishbones at the rear, with the dampers tuned to cut road shock while keeping the driving performance, so the car drives better and holds itself better. The New Alphard Z 2024 also shares its chassis with the Lexus LM.
The full safety suite
The clearest difference in the New Alphard Z 2024 is the new set of functions, including a full safety system built on the latest version of Toyota Safety Sense, with several driver-assistance systems: collision warning, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, Safe Exit Assist for door opening, Blind Spot Monitoring in the door mirrors, and six airbags covering the whole car. Where the older Alphard had only a factory rear camera, the New Alphard Z 2024 adds a 360-degree surround camera for driving that is safe and worry-free.
The New Alphard Z 2024 also uses a high-force electric parking brake: press the button and the car holds fast with maximum force, with no worry about it moving. There are electric sunshades on the sliding-door windows, the third-row windows and the twin moonroof.
By this point it is no surprise that the Toyota Alphard has won so many hearts. For anyone interested in a large five-to-seven-seat MPV, the New Alphard Z 2024 is not to be missed. It is complete: luxurious, beautiful design, safe and convenient functions, and excellent performance, and it answers the brief equally well as a family car or as a car for executives and business people.
If you are interested in a luxury car, the B Autohaus Vibhavadi showroom is glad to help. We are a dealer for leading marques from around the world, and not an ordinary car showroom: we provide full-circle automotive services, with a service centre, a body and paint centre and a car spa, under the idea of The 360 degrees of auto services, to meet customers’ needs completely. Whatever the brand or the model, we are happy to advise.