When it comes to carrying people the new Toyota Granvia is a beauty.  Yes, it’s a Toyota and yes it’s reliable.  But what makes this a vehicle one would buy over say a Kia Carnival or Hyundai iMax?  Well, it will essentially come down to buyer preference; however, there are some excellent features that make life with a new Granvia pretty satisfying.

This is an all-new generation people mover that has been based on the Toyota HiAce.  What Toyota has done is replace the Toyota Tarago with the squarer looking Granvia, enabling it to go head-to-head with rivals like the iMax and Mercedes Benz V-Class.

Like the good old Hiace of old (1990s), this new Granvia model goes back to a diesel engine with strong turbo torque, and the new one is a 2.8-litre beaut.  If you are as ancient as me, back in the 90s Toyota had a Hiace van with a superb 3.0-litre turbodiesel that was perfect for hauling loads around reliably.  So, in 2020 you have at your disposal 130 kW of power and 450 Nm of torque.  This is strong performance, particularly in the torque department, so that once you hit an incline there remains plenty of grunt to get you up it when fully loaded.  There is even a bit in reserve for overtaking on motorways.  Set up with a well-sorted six-speed automatic transmission the gears are slipped through smoothly.  It does do a commendable job of lugging the heavy van about smoothly.

However, with all this weight the new Granvia isn’t going to win any economy awards.  Modern technology enables the new Granvia to boast a fuel economy figure of around 10 litres/100 km when cruising in a relaxed manner.  In the real world, however, you can see it drinking a lot more than this.  Your own personal fuel economy will come down to how heavy your right foot is on the pedal, and how much you demand the van to perform all the time.  Though exceedingly comfortable, it is, after all, a big, heavy and upright van.  The Granvia is 1990 mm tall, in fact, so it does take a bit of poke and fuel to shove it through the air, especially into a head wind.  Length is 5300 mm long, and the 1970mm width gives it plenty of room.  By the way, I do like the nose at the front; I think it makes me feel safer.  In fact I know this makes them way safer in crash testing!

Two models are available: the more luxurious Toyota Granvia VX which lists at around $75k and can be had with six or eight seats, and the standard Granvia with a six or eight seater option – listing at around $63k new for the six-seater and $65k for the eight seater.

The standard Granvia, though cheaper, is a very well-equipped van.  Things like 12-Volt sockets, a power outlet, cloth trim, dual front airbags, a knee airbag for the driver, abs, active high beam control, Apple Car Play, rear air conditioning, autonomous emergency braking, an auto limited slip differential, an adjustable speed limiter, automatic stop/start, an adjustable steering wheel, Android Auto, an auxiliary input socket, 17-inch alloy wheels, brake assist, bottle holders – front seats, blind spot monitoring, Bluetooth connectivity, curtain airbags, cruise control intelligent/active, cup holders – front and rear, a coat hanger/hook(s), a huge centre console box, child seat anchor points, cyclist recognition, digital audio broadcast radio +, LED daytime running lights, eco mode, easy close sliding doors, an emergency stop signal, extra usb socket/s, LED fog lights, a leather accented steering wheel, lane departure warning, LED headlights and indicators, LED interior lighting, a multi-function display, a multi-function steering wheel, map/reading lights – front and rear, a pre-collision braking system, parking distance control front and rear, pedestrian recognition, powered heated mirrors with auto folding, pedestrian protection bonnet, pre-collision systems, a rear air-conditioning control panel, four rear captain’s chairs, rear cross traffic alert, LED taillights, a reversing camera, curtain airbags, satellite navigation, split fold rear seat, siri compatability, steering and lane control assistance, smart entry, smart start, a sound system with 6 speakers, speed sensitive power steering, sun visors with vanity mirrors and illumination, a full size spare wheel, traction control system, trailer stability control, traffic sign recognition, a voice recognition system, vehicle stability control, wood grain trim and one touch windscreen wipers make their way on-board.

Standard features on the more luxurious VX models include quilted leather seats and trim, proximity unlocking, automatic sliding side doors, sun shades for all rear side windows, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with satellite navigation, and an Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 12-speaker Pioneer sound system that is the “bee’s knees”.  The quilted leather seats are exceptionally plush and comfortable to sit in.

Out on the road you feel like you’re up nice and high, and the visibility for the driver is very good.  All the driving aids, and being auto, make the new 2020 Toyota Granvia very nice to drive whether you’re in town or out doing interstate travel.  This is a comfortable, classy, easy to drive People Mover with a strong engine for the job.  The ride quality is top notch along with cabin quietness.  Definitely the Granvia VX is the van for taking on VW’s and Mercedes Benz’s luxury people movers.

The current 2020 Toyota Granvia models include the:

• Granvia 6 seater
• Granvia 8-seater
• Granvia VX 6 seater
• Granvia VX 8 seater

For any more information on the Toyota Granvia or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181.  If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Toyota dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours.  Private Fleet – car buying made easy!