Toyota HIACE SLWB Review

In Malaysia's business travel and multi-family car market, 10-seater MPVs are always a rigid demand. These types of vehicles need to balance passenger comfort while meeting the stability requirements for long-distance travel—this is where the 2024 Toyota HIACE SLWB stands out as a popular choice in this niche segment. In this test drive, we primarily evaluate its space practicality, the actual performance of its diesel engine, and whether its "luxury" configurations truly enhance daily usability.

At first glance, the 2024 HIACE SLWB gives an impression of a square and majestic design, with a typical commercial vehicle silhouette but refined details. The front features Toyota's signature family-style design, with a trapezoidal grille paired with horizontal chrome strips, showcasing a high degree of recognition with the iconic brand logo in the center; the halogen headlights on both sides are square-shaped, and the standard daytime running lights and front fog lights enhance practicality, maintaining good visibility even in rainy or foggy weather. The side profile displays straight lines, with the 3860mm long wheelbase clearly reflected in the length of the doors, and the sliding rear door design allows easy access for rear passengers; the rear part is clean and sharp, with vertically integrated taillights that blend seamlessly with the body, equipped with rear fog lights and high-mounted brake lights. The overall design leans towards stability, fitting its commercial positioning.

Opening the cockpit, the interior design focuses on practicality, with a symmetrical layout on the dashboard and durable plastic materials that are well-assembled. A multifunctional steering wheel comes as standard, with buttons for volume control and phone answering on the left side, making operation convenient; the instrument panel is a Multi-information Display (MID), clearly showing data like RPM, speed, and fuel level, making the readings intuitive. The 7-inch central control screen is positioned at the top of the dashboard; though not particularly large, its interface is simple and supports basic multimedia functions. Notably, the vehicle is equipped with a 220V/230V power outlet, which is quite convenient for business users to charge laptops on the go. Regarding seating, the driver’s seat supports 6-way adjustments, allowing a comfortable driving position for extended periods. The second-row passenger seat is 4-way adjustable, while the third-row and subsequent seats support a recline function and are equipped with headrests, enhancing comfort during long-distance rides. With a 10-seater layout, it accommodates multiple passengers conveniently.

Space performance is one of the core advantages of the HIACE SLWB. The front driver’s seat offers ample headroom; with a height of 175cm, occupants still have about two fist-widths of space above their heads. The legroom for second-row and third-row passengers is also reasonably spacious, ensuring that even a full load of passengers won't feel overly cramped. In terms of storage, there is a storage compartment below the dashboard, cup holders and storage slots on the door panels, allowing convenient placement of items such as phones and water bottles. The trunk space, even when fully loaded with passengers, can still accommodate several carry-on suitcases, and folding down the rear seats further enhances the loading capacity, meeting the needs of business transport or family luggage storage.

In terms of power, the 2024 HIACE SLWB is equipped with a 2.8L turbocharged diesel engine, delivering a maximum horsepower of 177PS and a peak torque of 450N·m, paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. During actual driving, the power response at the start is smooth, and once the turbo kicks in, the power output is strong. When driving in urban areas, even with full loads, overtaking or accelerating is effortless; on highways, gear transitions are seamless, and the engine maintains about 2000 RPM to keep a speed of 100km/h, showcasing good fuel efficiency during cruising. The official combined fuel consumption is 8.2L/100km. During our test drive, the fuel consumption was about 9.5L/100km in city traffic and dropped to 7.8L/100km on highways, in line with the characteristic low fuel consumption of diesel vehicles.

The handling and chassis performance are tuned more towards comfort. Both the front and rear suspensions are MacPherson independent suspensions, which can filter out most of the small vibrations when dealing with bumpy roads. Even when passing over speed bumps or potholes, passengers inside the car will not feel obvious jolts. The steering wheel has moderate weight and decent accuracy. Although the vehicle body is relatively large, it does not feel bulky during urban turns or parking. In terms of braking, both the front and rear are equipped with ventilated disc brakes, providing responsive braking and a linear pedal feel, giving enough confidence to the driver. When it comes to noise control, the diesel engine produces slight vibrations and noises at idle; however, while driving, wind noise and tire noise are well suppressed and do not interfere with normal conversations inside the car.

Overall, the core highlights of the 2024 Toyota HIACE SLWB are clear: a spacious 10-seat layout, ample diesel power, practical features, and a reliable brand reputation. Compared to other vehicles in its class, its price (RM 169,000) is at a moderate level among luxury MPVs. Features such as the 220V power outlet and rear sliding door are more tailored to the needs of business users. This car is suitable for two types of users: business users who frequently need to transport clients or employees and families with more members who require long-distance travel. All in all, it is a model that balances practicality and reliability, and it can effectively meet the demands of group travel.