At the outset, the title isn’t to be taken at face value. It is meant to question the definition of modern luxury in cars. To quote Coco Chanel, “People think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity.”

Today, the majority of luxury vehicles – especially from German manufacturers – define luxury through massive screens, virtual AI ‘concierge’ bots that you rarely use, and disco-like ambient lighting. This tech-beyond-everything approach has replaced what used to be a delicate ambience and quality that removes you from the outside world.  

In this context, the 2024 Toyota Vellfire (and by extension, the pricier Alphard) stand out. It offers the equivalent of flying business class for work and leisure every day, not because of its technology, but because it places you at the centre of the luxury experience.

Of course, the counterpoint that floats around is that the 2024 Vellfire isn’t innovative, a rehash of safe, old ideas for the sake of profit – but if this were true, why does it feel special? Endearing even. Let’s get into it.

Overview

The Toyota Vellfire (AGH40) was launched in Malaysia in October 2023 and offered in a single variant priced at RM 438,000 sans insurance. Like its pricier Alphard sibling, it is fully imported (CBU) from Japan.

The 2024 Vellfire is powered by a naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine (2AR-FE), producing 182 PS and 235 Nm of torque, paired with a CVT automatic transmission with 7 virtual ratios.

Built on the TNGA-K platform, the new platform features extra structural and high-rigidity adhesives at certain spots along the body to reduce body deformation and improve body rigidity up to 50 percent better than its predecessor.

The 2024 Vellfire also exclusively gets a ‘front performance bar’ tacked between the radiator frame and front chassis members that improves comfort by reducing body pitch and bounce.

The front seats are 8-way powered with memory for the driver and 4-way electrically adjustable for the front passenger.

At the business end, the second row features two 'Executive Power Seats' with Ottoman functions, heating, and ventilation, along with an armrest and side table. The 50/50 split third-row seats can slide fore and aft and can be folded and stowed to the side to accommodate more cargo.

In terms of infotainment, there’s a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster paired with a 14-inch digital display unit with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. Elsewhere, a 15-speaker JBL premium audio system delivers in-car entertainment.

There is also a 64-color Ambient Lighting setup, automatic dual-zone air conditioning with Nanoe X purification, and an electronically operated sunshade for the 2nd- and 3rd-row seats for added privacy.   

In terms of safety, the 2024 Vellfire is equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which includes:

• Pre-collision system (PCS) with intersection support
• Lane departure alert (LDA)
• Dynamic radar cruise control (DRCC)
• Road sign assist (RSA)
• Adaptive high-beam system (AHS)
• Blind spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert (BSM, RCTA)

The safety system is enhanced by an upgraded front camera and improved radar sensor for a wider and clearer field of view.

Exterior

The 2024 Vellfire’s design language, known as "Forceful x Impact Luxury," features a prominent front grille with dark chrome trim and integrated LED daytime running lights with a crystalline effect. Tri-LED headlamps with sequential signal lights, cornering lights, and LED front fog lamps further enhance visibility.

At the rear, distinctive LED tail lamps add to the stylish appearance, complemented by superb-looking 19-inch wheels.

Measuring 75 mm longer but 55 mm shorter, the 2024 Vellfire offers a sleek, road-hugging presence. While it may not be considered beautiful, it has an unmistakable presence, particularly when pulling up to a hotel lobby or even your local mamak.

This commanding presence is likely a key reason many buyers opt for a 2024 Vellfire or Alphard, and in that sense, it delivers in spades.

Other design details reveal themselves upon closer inspection: the intricate surfacing of the front and rear wheel arches, the Vellfire crest featured on the door, and the boot release button subtly tucked on the underside of the tail lamps.

These elements add neat detailing to the 2024 Vellfire’s design, which would otherwise be just a rectangular box.

Interior

The interior of the 2024 Vellfire is where it truly shines – and by golly-gosh, it delivers in spades. Starting at the front, the first impression is how wide the dashboard feels, thanks to the swooping trim edge that runs from end to end. The dashboard layout is superb - controls are well placed, tactile to the touch and within easy reach. 

The massive 14-inch central infotainment screen is nicely within your field of vision. With shortcuts to all primary functions on the right side of the screen, it’s easy to navigate between pages even while driving. In fact, the in-built navigation system is so user-friendly that, for once in a long time, I opted to use it instead of Android Auto.

Elsewhere, the 12.3-inch digital instrument binnacle delivers sharp, legible readouts and looks cool too. Most importantly, all ADAS readouts are focused on the centre of the screen, complemented by the adaptive cruise control buttons on the right side of the steering wheel.

Moving rearward, the rear doors can be opened either by pulling on the handle or pressing the buttons on the handle itself, which can be a bit confusing for first-time users and a bit of an annoyance if you don’t like passengers yanking on door handles harshly.

That said, upon entering, you are first greeted by the 'Vellfire' script on the sidestep, which is a stylish touch. The second-row seats are powered with Ottoman functions, as well as heating and cooling, which works superbly on a hot day.

The seats themselves are about as comfortable as you can ever be in a vehicle, laying almost flat at full stretch with sublime padding for your lower back and shoulders. If you have never travelled Business Class on a flight before, trust the 2024 Vellfire (and Alphard) both provide a similar experience, albeit whilst on the ground.

Perhaps the biggest improvement has been in the third row. Retaining all the (slide and fold-up to stow away) functionality from before, the seats are softly padded and positioned high enough above the ground to prevent straining your thighs over a longer journey.

In its full passenger mode, you’d be hard-pressed to find any shortage of legroom or headroom. A tennis racket would have been more apt to give you an idea of how spacious the 2024 Vellfire is, instead of our typical tennis ball test, pun intended. Even when you push the third row as far forward to accommodate bags, you can still enjoy adequate space in both the second and third rows.

Once again, it’s worth stressing that this is where the 2024 Vellfire truly excels—while it’s as well-equipped as a BMW 7 Series or Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the experience isn’t defined by technology. Instead, it’s about simplicity, space, and comfort—a throwback to old-school, analogue luxury in a digital age, which is precisely what makes it so appealing.

Refinement levels

As for refinement, the 2024 Vellfire delivers a pleasurable and pleasant driving experience you would expect from a car of its stature and price. For the most part, the cabin beautifully cocoons you from the outside world.

The first and second rows are superbly quiet, but where there’s a marked improvement from before is in the third row, which is now better insulated against tyre roar and bump noise over the AH30 Vellfire.

Though, you would have to contend with a tad bit of wind noise at speed just at the leading edge of the sliding rear doors, and some creaks from interior panels over bumpy roads once in a while. That said, one could hardly call it a deal breaker.

Driving Experience

Though for all its improvements in design, comfort, and refinement, some may think that little has changed in terms of the powertrain in the 2024 Vellfire. After all, it is powered by the same 182 PS/235 Nm 2.5-liter engine as its predecessor, with no increase in power or torque, still matched to a CVT automatic with 7 virtual ratios. While the powertrain remains unchanged—and we'll get into that—the more notable improvements are underneath.

The TNGA-K platform, along with the additional structural and high-rigidity adhesives at specific spots along the body, reduces body deformation and improves rigidity by up to 50 percent compared to its predecessor. The 2024 Vellfire has been tuned for slightly sharper handling than the 2024 Alphard.

When driving the 2024 Vellfire, the improvements are distinct and noticeable within 5 minutes of being behind the wheel. The first impression is how well-balanced the vehicle feels from front to back. Though hefty at 2,105 kg, body movements are nicely controlled, with much less of the rolly-polly upper body movements the AH30 Vellfire exhibited. The driving position is more SUV-like than van-like, with great adjustability for the driver.

The suspension noticeably offers composure over rough, undulating road surfaces while being able to iron out large bumps and the many potholes found in KL. That said, sharper high-frequency movements can sometimes catch it out slightly, such as poorly laid patch jobs of tar. For the most part, though, the 2024 Vellfire resists abrupt body movements, soaks up road roughness, and resists pitching and diving under braking, leaving passengers with a serene and stable driving experience.

On open highways, the 2024 Vellfire remains planted nicely at the speed limit, offering serene comfort within the cabin. The steering is nicely geared, requiring little effort to steer while being reasonably weighty at speed. The brakes, though a bit squishy early on, weigh up nicely and stop the car forcefully if required.

However, the 2024 Vellfire is noticeably more susceptible to crosswinds than the AH30. So while it can sustain 140 km/h all day, passing by other large vehicles or encountering crosswinds will cause noticeable body movements, sometimes requiring steering correction, which can be unsettling for some, myself included. Thus, I was quite happy to cruise at the speed limit (give or take 10 km/h) where things are more composed.

This brings me back to the powertrain. While it remains much the same, one would be hard-pressed to find the 2024 Vellfire lacking. The 2.5-litre 4-cylinder mill is quiet and decently refined, with no vibration in the cabin even when worked hard. It delivers adequate torque at low speeds or when overtaking a slower car.

Admittedly, it does feel quite laboured if you're carrying more than 5 passengers and trying to climb steep hills, but on a day-to-day basis, you'd hardly be in want of more power. The CVT likewise reacts intuitively to driver inputs and provides smooth acceleration in almost every speed range. Given its 'long' legs, the engine ticks over at around 1,800 rpm at the 110 km/h speed limit, making cruising a relaxed experience.

Of course, if you want more power, there's always the Alphard with its 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 278 PS and 430 Nm. So, while it may not be considered powerful, the 2024 Vellfire offers sufficient grunt and delivers respectable fuel economy—likely a more important factor for most customers

Fuel efficiency

In our commonplace fuel test, we covered a total of 149.5 km with a good 50/50 mix of highway and city driving, multiple times during that sting carrying four or more passengers making it highly representative of real-world use.

Requiring 16.33 litres of fuel to brim the tank again, the 2024 Vellfire returned an average fuel consumption of 10.9 litres/100 km.

While the numbers aren’t exactly exemplary, they’re typical for a vehicle of this size and engine displacement. Considering that we also had the rear AC running throughout the test, those efficiency numbers are actually quite decent.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the 2024 Vellfire may not be groundbreaking in terms of powertrain engineering, but it excels where it matters most: delivering luxury and refinement. The beautifully designed and well-built interior offers a Business Class travel experience every day.

The TNGA platform has significantly elevated the driving experience and overall comfort levels over its predecessor, while the TSS 3.0 ADAS suite makes driving this large vehicle easier, with features that intuitively work well with Malaysian traffic.

However, there are a few downsides. The 2024 Vellfire isn’t particularly powerful, though it offers adequate torque and cruises comfortably, with decent fuel economy. It’s also more susceptible to crosswind-induced body movements at highway speeds compared to the AH30 Vellfire, requiring careful handling, which might be a drawback for some customers.

Despite these points, the most charming aspect of the Vellfire, much like the Alphard, is that it never makes you feel rushed. Once inside, it cocoons you from the outside world and encourages you to enjoy your time on the roads, especially if you are in the second row. This is why you buy a 2024 Vellfire—because you are at the centre of the luxury experience.