https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Alphard
The
Toyota Alphard (
Japanese: トヨタ・アルファード,
Hepburn:
Toyota Arufādo); /
alfærd/) is a
minivan produced by the Japanese automaker
Toyota since 2002. It is available as a seven or eight-seater with
petrol and
hybrid engine options. Hybrid variants have been available since 2003, which incorporates Toyota's
Hybrid Synergy Drive technology. It is Toyota's flagship minivan.
[3]
The Alphard is primarily made for the Japanese market, but is also sold in many Asian countries,
[4] Belarus,
[4] Russia,
[5] and the Middle East.
[6] Similar to the
Camry, it is often regarded as a
luxury car in Southeast Asian markets.
Since the second generation, a twin model called
Toyota Vellfire (
Japanese: トヨタ・ヴェルファイア,
Hepburn:
Toyota Verufaia) has also been available, which is marketed as a sportier alternative to the Alphard and exclusively marketed by the
Netz Store dealership chain until 2020. Since 2019, a modified and more upscale version of the model has been sold as the
Lexus LM.
The vehicle was named after
Alphard,
[7] the brightest
star in the
constellation Hydra. The Alphard wears a special front emblem which depicts the lowercase
alpha letter.
[8] A prominent design feature of the Alphard is its shield-like grille, which it's had since the launch of the AH30 generation in 2015.
The name "Vellfire" was derived from "velvet" and "fire" to emphasize "smooth" and "passionate" as characteristics of the vehicle.
[9] Starting from the AH30 generation, the Vellfire has been given aggressive styling to reflect being the sportier version of the Alphard. As of the AH40 generation, the Vellfire received its own unique insignia in the form of a stylized 'V', in an effort to further distinguish it from its twin.
