Alphard to be sold officially in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore?

"Yes, we are going to sell the Alphard in Thailand towards the end of this year. We have been planning it for quite some time already," Vudhigorn Suriyachantananont, Vice-President, Toyota Motor Thailand in an interview with Bangkok Post.

For the past few years, the demand for grey (parallel) imported large Japanese MPVs have been growing, with the Alphard being the new darling of grey importers in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore as demand for previous PI favourite, the Harrier / Lexus RX plateau due to its aging model life. Production of the Caldina, another PI favourite ceased in 2006 (if I am not mistaken). Hence Alphard is the main profit generator for PIs around the region.

But if you are in the market for a new Alphard, you might want to wait as there is a high possibility that you might be able to finally purchase the vehicle from an official Toyota dealer with warranty instead of reconditioned units from grey importers, many of which sell cars with very questionable history.

 
Images courtesy of NihonCar

Toyota sells almost the same model line-up in Thailand and Malaysia. If Thailand is getting the new Alphard, you can be pretty sure that Malaysia will follow suit very soon. Given that Toyota Motor Thailand has officially revealed its plan to the media, I reckon that the actual introduction in South East Asia should be a year or less away. I am also expecting the vehicle to be sold officially in Singapore.

From a business point of view, it wouldn't make much sense that Thailand is allowed by TMC to import the vehicle but UMW Toyota of Malaysia and Borneo Motors of Singapore are not offered. I am sure the respective distributors will be knocking on the doors of TMC demanding an explanation why they are being treated differently from Thailand. Unless of course the respective distributors reject it, which again do not make much sense as grey importers are having a gala of a time riding the popularity of Toyota brand, with no investment on their part in any after-sales support or brand promotion. At the moment, all official distributors of Toyota in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore sell the Previa (Estima) but only in very limited numbers as there is no way they can match the lower prices of PIs. However you get what you pay - Japanese language owner's manual, screen displays and controls, questionable vehicle history (many written off crashed units are exported out) and no manufacturer support.

The Alphard actually started life as the Granvia, but it was eventually replaced with the Alphard. The second generation Alphard was recently launched in Japan in May 2008 with two engine options (2.4-litre and 3.5-litre) and two different stylings; the classic Alphard and the sportier Vellfire.

Images courtesy of NihonCar

Also, the Free Trade Agreements between Japan with Thailand and Malaysia have already been implemented. By 2010 (again...if I am not mistaken), CBU vehicles imported from Japan will enjoy lower import duties in Malaysia (depending on body type and engine capacity). However, do bear in mind that import duty is only a small part of a vehicle's costing as excise duties are also levied upon any imported vehicle. So don't expect any substantial savings though.

As it does not make much sense to sell both the Previa and Alphard together (they both target the same group of customers, leading to overlapping product line-up), I expect the Previa to be discontinued soon, as demand for the vehicle even in the grey market is winding down.

The reason why Toyota sells both the Previa and Alphard is that the market dynamics in Japan is very different from here. Japan is a very mature satured automotive market. In Japan, Toyota sells different models to different dealer network - with Toyopet getting more luxurious Crowns and Corolla getting more conservative models like Estima and Corolla while Netz gets more youthful models like the Wish, Yaris and Alphard. This explains why Toyota sells sooo many different MPVs. I am not sure if I can name every single MPV in Japan.

Japan is a really weird country to me. If you notice, Japan is the only automotive culture in the entire freaking world who thinks that MPVs are cool / stylish. And of course, many of the ignorant drivers in South East Asia with a misguided sense of automotive style just adopt whatever that is hip and cool in Japan. In everywhere else around the world, to drive a MPV is a way of saying you have given up hope in life.

Do the Italians fancy MPVs? No. They are a country of Ferraris, Maseratis and Alfa Romeos. And this a nation whose police wear Gucci designed uniforms. Do the French fancy MPVs? No, even though they created the MPV segment (Renault Espace, and no Chrysler Minivan is not the first MPV), France is still a nation of nimble hot hatches. Definately not Germany. Although you will find the assorted Vauxhall Merivas and Ford Galaxies, German autobahns are predominantly sedan and estate cars. Which brings us to the only other major MPV market in the world - USA (I know Indonesia is the largest MPV market in the ASEAN region, but I believe its still smaller than US), and they call it minivan, and the first sold there was the Chrysler Minivan, brainchild of legend Lee Iacocca. This is a country who thinks the Ford F-150 and Hummers are ultimate expression of macho style and the rich of their country ride in stretched Lincoln limos. Look. I don't take fashion advice from people whose culture only involves hot dogs, NFLs, racing in circles, and late night Jay Lenos.

With such a background, that is why I cannot fathom how in the world do the rich here think large Japanese MPVs are cool? And please don't give the family size excuse, I challenge you to spot a Previa or Alphard with more than 5 people on board.

The words MPV, cool, stylish cannot be possibly linked together. Period. It just goes against the universal law of automotive fashion, except for the Japanese...maybe it appeals to this quasi-American-Asian mentality that bigger is better. Plus, try to observe who are the sort of people who buy Alphards and think that it's "cool." You'll see a pattern quite soon, and it's not a very flattering image. Definately not "cool."

But of course, I have always been the odd one out, more so in automotive fashion. If utility is what you need, take some cues from the gurus of practicality - the Scandinavians, the nation of Ikeas and Nokia user interfaces. Those fellas do know a thing or two about practicality, and coming from a region that invented 3-point seatbelts and Volvo, the do know their safety too. When the Scandinavians need utility in their vehicles, they go for estates or as we call it here, station wagons. The reason is simple, you drive your large Japanese luxo Toyota MPV while I go for a Eurobox wagon, when a car suddenly jumps out of a junction we shall see who ends up on their sides.

It's a pity not many appreciate estates on this side of the world. Most of the luxury estates I see around here are mainly driven by expats.

Have a look at the video below by AutoBild Magazine. Now this is what I call style AND utility.


Also check out this awesome ad on the Audi RS6 Avant's V10.