Toyota unveils self-charging hybrid electric luxury car

Toyota Kirloskar Motor on Wednesday launched a self-charging hybrid electric luxury car 'New Vellfire' with an introductory price of Rs 79.5 lakh.

The car, equipped with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder gasoline hybrid engine coupled with two electric motors and a hybrid battery, the makers claim, offers a high fuel efficiency with a mileage of 16.35 KMPL.

New Vellfire, a Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicle, has an “onboard charging” function, wherein the electric batteries get charged automatically while in operation, thereby not requiring any external charging facility.

“All regulated emission levels are well below the specified limit, and some are even less than one-tenth of these limits. Studies have shown that strong hybrid vehicles can run 40 per cent of distance and 60 per cent of the time on electric or zero-emission mode with the engine off. Vellfire is such a strong hybrid,” Toyota Kirloskar Motor officials said.

Speaking at the launch event in Hyderabad on Wednesday, Naveen Soni, senior vice-president, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said that the first three shipments of 180 New Vellfire cars are sold out.

“Over 20 per cent of these sales are from Hyderabad,” Soni said, adding that six lakh Vellfire cars as sold globally already.

“There are Indian customers who want to travel business-first class and willing to pay for that kind of luxury,” Soni said in response to questions about the demand for such cars in a period of slumping economy and a downtrend in the car sales market.

New Vellfire is priced at Rs 79,50,000 ex-showroom across the country except in Kerala.

The vehicle’s safety features include seven SRS airbags, VDIM - Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management, HAC - Hill-start Assist Control and VSC - Vehicle Stability Control.

The car with luxurious and spacious interiors delivers a powerful driving experience while ensuring low fuel consumption and carbon footprints, a company statement said.