2022 Toyota Alphard

Toyota Alphard 2021-2022 Review

If you could regard the Toyota Vellfire as the entry level luxury MPV, then the Toyota Alphard is its much higher-spec sister. They’re essentially the same car from the outside, albeit with some differences in cosmetics and trim choices, and it’s the inside where the differences are more apparent both in terms of mechanicals and features.

The Toyota Alphard is an interesting and unique mark of status in Malaysia – almost on par with ultra-long luxury limousines and sports cars. It would be on the same level as vehicles like the Toyota Land Cruiser (especially for the multi-generational plantation owner), or the Toyota Harrier (for your regular family with 1.98 children according to census data). And perhaps most notable of all is the Toyota Alphard - and its sister car the Toyota Vellfire – a luxury MPV that almost sits at the top of the hill.

This boxy looking car can commonly be found in affluent households for a variety of good reasons – usually surrounding the fact that it can move large volumes of people in pretty good comfort. In fact, there have been many variants and offshoots of this particular model, with Lexus even having an ultra-luxury version that is a far better approximation of that “business class” environment many European marques aim for, albeit for an eye-watering amount of money.

Generationally three have been three Alphards since 2002, with a variety of facelifts introduced along the way as well. The latest generation was locally introduced in 2016, with an update coming in 2020 and another upgraded variant due soon seeing as we get our models fully imported from Japan. The Alphard as it is positioned is the higher-spec version of the Vellfire, hence being the higher price – and it is only offered in a singular variant locally.

Toyota Alphard 2021-2022 Specifications

Powering the singular variant of the Toyota Alphard available in Malaysia is the 2GR-FKS, an engine that isn’t so common among the Toyota range for its particularly large displacement and size. This massive 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine produces 300 PS and 361 Nm of torque – a healthy pair of figures to move the Alphard with urgency even with a full spread of passengers.

This is paired with a an eight-speed conventional automatic transmission that delivers drive exclusively to the front wheels – slightly antithetical to Toyota’s rear-wheel drive MPV ethos at the entry level, but an absolute necessity and requirement in the pursuit of superior packaging and interior space. Rear-wheel drive is the historical design framework for your average vehicle, but the advent of front-driven vehicles proved far superior for packaging reasons.

Looking largely like a bread box, the dimensions of the Alphard are pretty simple to grasp as it sits within a cuboid. The overall length is 4,945 mm, with a width of 1,850 mm and a height of 1,895 mm. As you can see the height and width are quite nearly identical – a real mark of an MPV. The wheelbase is a staunch 3,000 mm to really extend that interior space, with a surprisingly heavy kerb weight of 2,135 kilograms.  

Toyota Alphard 2021-2022 Exterior

There isn’t much to see with the exterior of the Toyota Alphard, being pretty much a box in shape. It does get LED headlamps with cornering lamps and daytime running lights as standard, as well as LED front and rear fog lamps. There’s a small roof-mounted rear spoiler with an integrated LED third brake light, as well as a twin moonroof for an especially airy cabin feel. The wheels are 18-inches in size, being a simple alloy design.

Toyota Alphard 2021-2022 Interior

On the inside of the Toyota Alphard is an interesting six seater layout, with two seats per row and walk-through functionality to allow for easy access to the third row. This has been one of the core features and functions of the Alphard and Alphard range, giving them that luxury feel and cabin space that elevates the passenger experience. The seat material is beige leather, with LED ceiling illumination as well for an additional level of class. There are front powered seats for the passenger, replete with seat air conditioning, and the second row of seats are captain-styled with power recline and ottoman functionality.

Toyota Alphard 2021-2022 Safety Features

Despite this generation of the Toyota Alphard being introduced in the mid 2010s, it doesn’t suffer from the same curse that many of the other models do with the inability to accept advanced safety systems. The Alphard comes complete with a pre-collision system, lane departure alert with steering assist and lane tracing, dynamic radar cruise control with stop and go functionality, and automatic high beam.

This is on top of the regular alphabet soup of safety systems like ABS with EBD and brake assist, electronic stability and traction control, and hill-start assist control. There’s also a blind spot monitor to help you keep track with the Alphard’s relatively long body and larger blind spot areas.

Toyota Alphard 2021-2022 Strengths & Weakness

Perhaps the largest enemy for the Toyota Alphard has to be parallel import models, followed closely by its near and dear sister, the Toyota Vellfire. There’s no getting around the fact that the Toyota Alphard is not a cheap vehicle – but there are plenty of options available if you need a six seater on a tighter budget. However, when it gets to this particular level of vehicle, the Toyota Alphard only represents additional luxury over the Toyota Vellfire.

What do we mean by this? Really the only deciding factors between the two models are the more luxurious seats and the more potent powertrain. That is the advantage of the Toyota Alphard over the Toyota Vellfire, which may not necessarily by much of a priority for the majority of consumers. To that end, you could have the Alphard experience for much less money with the Vellfire – and arguably if you want those extra elements, there are even more luxurious options that you can choose from for an even higher price.

Toyota Alphard 2021-2022 Price

The singular variant of the Toyota Alphard goes for RM 446,609.00 – inclusive of all taxes, fees, and exemptions, but exclusive of insurance. Prices are applicable to Peninsular Malaysia, for private registration only, and inclusive of a five year, unlimited mileage warranty. On top of this, UMW Toyota guarantees 10 years of genuine parts available and supply for maintenance and repairs – one of the key reasons you go for an officially imported model.

Toyota Alphard 2021-2022 Features

The main feature list of the Toyota Alphard doesn’t read very long, because its intrinsic value is in the construction, design, and comfort of the vehicle. That being said, it does come with a 4.2-inch TFT screen for the instrument cluster multi-information display, as well as items like keyless entry and start, air conditioning for the front and rear, an eight-speaker audio setup, a roof-mounted 10.2-inch display screen for the rear passengers, and a nine-inch touch screen display for infotainment that has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

Toyota Alphard 2021-2022 Fuel Consumption

In our own testing we found that this luxury MPV consumes closer 15.2 litres per 100 kilometres in real world urban driving, which translates to roughly 6.6 kilometres per litre. With a tank that’s a whopping 75 litres on size, that would let you travel close to 493 kilometres between trips to the petrol station.