Toyota Hiace SLWB

Like the exterior, the interior of the Toyota Hiace SLWB also looks functional and basic, with the cabin finished in a dual-tone theme of black and greige. The Hiace SLWB has a 10-seater cabin, with enough space and convenience features for all the ten seats on the inside. 

The Toyota Hiace SLWB has a round-themed three-spoke, tilt-adjustable multi-functional steering wheel with a very basic-looking analogue instrument console with three dials behind it. Like the front profile on the outside, the centre console of the cabin also has a lot of rectangular influence for the vertical AC vents and the housing for the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system between them, with three rounded dials for the manual AC below it. There is an additional controller for the rear AC vents in the lower centre console, with the dashboard-mounted transmission lever placed right to it. 

The cabin of the Toyota Hiace SLWB might not be scoring highly in equipment, but it does get a few convenience features like an overhead sunglass holder, open overhead storage spaces above the sunshades, storage bins and glovebox in the dashboard, power-adjustable and foldable rearview mirrors and rear AC vents.

As the name suggests, the Toyota Hiace SLWB is a long-wheelbase version of the Hiace and features a tall body design with extended roof. These tweaks make the Hiace SLWB look large, besides offering enhanced space and comfort on the inside (more on that later). The overall design of the Toyota Hiace SLWB has been kept simple, with cost-effective elements and basic design lines.

At the front, the Toyota Hiace SLWB has a short and slanted bonnet that flows down towards the almost vertical fascia. The front fascia of the Hiace SLWB has many horizontal lines and angles, including the dual chrome slats with tapered sides and a trapezoidal grille below it. More angular influence is visible in the trapezoidal halogen headlamps and vertical L-shaped lines over the vertically aligned slim housings for the small rounded fog lamps. 

With a stretched wheelbase over the standard Hiace, the Toyota Hiace SLWB looks longer, while having a tall body design with a heightened roofline. The large-sized window panels on the sides, besides the sharp and continuous-running creases throughout the side profile, further make the Toyota Hiace SLWB look long and poised. This people mover from Toyota comes with rounded and mildly flared wheel arches with tyres over 16-inch steel wheels below them. 

The design of the tailgate of the Toyota Hiace SLWB looks similar to that of the standard Hiace, including the large rectangular windscreen with rounded edges covering the upper half and vertically aligned halogen tail lamps on the sides. The lower half of the rear profile also has a rectangular license plate housing in the middle of the boot lid, with the van also having a body-coloured bumper at the bottom. 

The Toyota Hiace SLWB has a traditional old-school body-on-frame architecture, with the people mover having Macpherson struts at the front and leaf springs at the rear. While the front suspension has stabilizers to keep the body roll in check, it still has a bit of body roll that can be felt at higher speeds. Also, the leaf springs do not deliver too much plushness in the ride quality, but they score high on durability and driving prowess over rougher surfaces. 

The Toyota Hiace SLWB is solely available with a 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, which is also being offered in other traditional Toyota offerings like Fortuner and Hilux. However, here in the Hiace SLWB, this engine has been tuned differently, with it delivering a maximum power output of 177 PS and a maximum torque output of 450 Nm. A 6-speed automatic transmission is the standard gearbox on offer in the Toyota Hiace SLWB.

The safety equipment list of the Toyota Hiace SLWB is also bare-basic, with this people mover from Toyota having dual front and driver knee airbags, ABS with EBD, front and rear parking sensors, reverse camera, vehicle stability control, and traction control.

With a history of offering immense durability and reliability in the long run, the Toyota Hiace brand has just become more practical and plusher with this SLWB version, thanks to the better space management, comfort, and convenience features on the inside.