More expensive than the Alphard, here's all you need to know about the Toyota GranAce

A couple of days ago we posted photos of a Toyota GranAce on the streets of Malaysia and many readers were curious to as what the GranAce really is.

After all, seeing how uncommon the Toyota GranAce is in Malaysia, it definitely turns more heads than the Alphard and Vellfire duo.

Also Read: Spied: Toyota GranAce seen in Malaysia, will remain as recond for now

So, just what is the Toyota GranAce?

The Toyota GranAce is essentially a more luxurious, people mover version of the sixth-generation Toyota Hiace.

Toyota also offers less luxurious, albeit with more seats versions of the van called the Grandia and Grandia Tourer (Philippines), Hiace Commuter (Thailand, Philippines), and Hiace Premio (Indonesia).

It’s a similar arrangement as Volkswagen (Transporter for commercial work and Multivan / T6 for ferrying people) and Mercedes-Benz (Vito and V-Class).

Does the Toyota GranAce have different names?

Other markets receive the model under different names. For example, it is sold as the Toyota Majesty in Thailand and Toyota Granvia in Taiwan and Australia, while those in the Philippines will know it as the Toyota Hiace Super Grandia.

The GranAce name is only used in Japan.

Is it more luxurious than the Toyota Alphard and Vellfire?

This is a tough question to answer, but let us break it down for you.

As most of you know, the Toyota Alphard and Toyota Vellfire duo are aimed at private buyers with families, hence the more refined petrol powertrain.

On the other hand, the Toyota GranAce is aimed at fleet buyers as a luxurious tourist van. That explains why most markets that get the GranAce and its derivatives get a diesel engine, as diesels offer far better mileage.

And yes, if you compare photos of the captain seats in the Alphard against the GranAce, they are almost identical, hinting that they are more or less equivalents.

To answer the question on which is more luxurious, there is no simple answer to that. Is a Toyota Alphard more luxurious than a Mercedes-Benz V-Class? Is a Toyota Century more majestic than a Lexus LS? What you believe to be the answer, then that's the answer for you.

How big is the Toyota GranAce?

This behemoth of a people mover is 5,300 mm long, 1,970 mm wide, and 1,990 mm tall. It has a wheelbase of 3,210 mm.

Check out the table below for the comparison against the Toyota Alphard.

Where is the Toyota GranAce sold?

At the moment, Toyota offers this luxurious people mover at selected countries, including Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Australia, and the Philippines.

What engines does it get?

Globally, the Toyota GranAce only gets a 2.8-litre turbodiesel with varying levels of output. The Japanese-, Australian-, Taiwanese-, and Philippines-market model does 177 PS and 450 Nm.

Meanwhile in Thailand, its Toyota Majesty outputs 163 PS and 420 Nm.

The only transmission choice is a six-speed automatic that sends drive to the rear wheels.

Will it be launched in Malaysia?

Don’t hold your breath for the arrival of the Toyota GranAce in Malaysia. When it comes to tourist vans, UMW Toyota would need to compete against a sea of Chinese tourist vans priced at a fraction of the GranAce.

If you need a luxury people mover from UMWT, you can either opt for the Toyota Alphard or Toyota Vellfire, or pony up and get the Lexus LM.

So, if I still want one, what are my options?

A quick check on car listing sites indicates that there are several units of the GranAce on sale, priced in the region of RM 430k – right around the region of a brand-new Toyota Alphard from UMWT.