Luxury vans are larger than sports utility vehicles and offer seating capacity of up to 9 passengers making them true people carriers. They also get high end features like leather seats, climate-controlled air conditioning, touchscreen infotainment systems, hi fidelity audio entertainment systems, massage functions for chairs and sunroofs along with several other luxury features that allow passengers to travel in comfort.
They offer superior comfort, space, interior and exterior designs, safety and advanced technology as compared to regular vehicles. Think of them as stretched out luxury sedans that can seat 7 occupants in comfort.
Below is a List of the Most Luxurious Vans That Are Currently on Sale in India.
Toyota Hiace
The Toyota Hiace 5th generation model has been introduced in India as a fully imported unit. The Toyota Hiace luxury van is available at a price of Rs.55 lakhs ex-showroom. The Toyota Hiace in India is not the same van that is available in international markets.
In the international markets, a new model of the Hiace has been on sale since 2019, whereas the Hiace launched in India has been on sale since 2004 in markets abroad.
We will receive the Hiace in India as a CBU (Completely Built Unit). While importing the luxury van into India, Toyota will make use of the no homologation law of the 2000 vehicles imported into the country, of which 50 have already imported in the first batch.
Currently only two colours are available for the internationally popular luxury van, i.e., white and silver. As afar as variants go, only one version of the Hiace is available, while it is said that Toyota may add more options at a later date.
The Toyota Hiace gets a 2.8 litre, turbocharged, 4-cylinder, diesel engine that produces a maximum power output of 151 bhp and peak torque of 300 Nm. This is the same engine that powers the Toyota Fortuner and Toyota Innova Crysta currently on sale in the Indian market. But Toyota has tweaked the power output figures a little bit. In the newly launched Toyota Fortuner, this same engine outputs a power of 204 bhp and a maximum torque of 500 Nm coupled to an automatic transmission. The Hiace in India will come with a 6-speed automatic transmission.
In India, the Toyota Hiace will only be sold in GL trim which is a 14-seater configuration including the driver and codriver. The last row of seats can be folded up to provide more boot space for luggage. The model will only be available with two options for the exterior paint, white and silver. The Toyota Hiace is a luxury van that offers plenty of cabin space and storage for passengers.
In terms of features, the Hiace gets a 2 DIN audio entertainment system with CD, Aux and USB inputs. In order to save space, the gear shifting lever is placed on the dashboard which frees up the area between the driver and co-driver. Safety features include dual front airbags, ABS with EBD braking system, power windows, power steering, rear window defogger, and power sliding doors for convenience. Each row of seats gets air-conditioning vents and semi reclining seats.
Toyota Vellfire
The Toyota Vellfire luxury van has been launched at a price tag of Rs. 79.5 lakhs and is the latest, newest luxury van to make its way into India. It promises supreme comfort and excellent performance from a hybrid powertrain.
The luxury van comes with comfortable leather clad captain seats in its second row and will take on the Mercedes V-Class in this market segment. The engine has an output of 196 bhp and comes paired to an e-CVT transmission (electronic continuously variable transmission) which is a type of automatic gearbox.
Luxury vans are getting popular in India, and the Vellfire adds to this list launched by Toyota Kirloskar Motor. It has been a long-awaited model in the market and will be a fully imported, completely built unit (CBU). It takes on the likes of the Mercedes V-Class in the luxury van segment. The engine is a petrol-electric hybrid with luxurious interiors. It is being offered in only one trim level, Executive Lounge – which is fully loaded with all the luxury features you can expect from a van at this price point.
The Vellfire’s main objective is to provide the most comfortable ride possible. And it is indeed, extremely comfortable with the second-row sporting leather captain seats which are ventilated, complete with a reclining function, electronic footrest and slide functions. Being ventilated, the seats are perfect for Indian weather, feature cup holders and a roof mounted infotainment screen which has HDMI and WIFI support. The beige and black colour combinations for the interior feature wood inserts in the dashboard and high-end leather upholstery for an ultra-luxurious and premium feel. The cabin gets not one, but two sunroofs and there is a splendid sound system from JBL that has 14 speakers, which is sure to entertain passengers with a HIFI audio experience.
External dimensions of the Vellfire give it a big presence on the road consisting of 1850 mm width, 4935 mm length and a height of 1895 mm. It gets a very wide wheelbase of 3000 mm which opens up a lot of room in the cabin and frees up interior space. Its chrome clad front end is hard to miss and looks flashy and extravagant. The body type is otherwise a little boxy with simple lines and striking design cues.
The headlights are of LED type which provide superior illumination (they get cornering function) and the rear LEDs wrap up the exterior with chrome 17-inch alloy wheels. The sliding doors are of electric type and the luxury van comes with a total of 7 airbags, ABS with EBD braking system, 360-degree panoramic view monitor and parking assist. There are a host of other comfort and convenience features available on the Vellfire.
The engine on the Toyota Vellfire is a 2.5 litre petrol unit that has a power output of 87 bhp @ 4700 rpm and 198 Nm of torque @ 2800 – 4000 rpm. The engine is mated to 2 electric motors each mounted on either axle to assist the petrol engine. The electric motors are rated at 105 bhp and 50 bhp, so the combined output of both the petrol motors and electric motors stands at 196 bhp. An e-CVT powers the front wheels, while an electronic 4-wheel drive system takes care of the powertrain at high speeds.
Mercedes Benz V-Class
The luxury automaker has the V-Class on offer to luxury van buyers in India at a price of Rs. 1.1 Crore. The German automaker has three versions of the V-Class on offer, Expression, Exclusive and Elite which are priced at Rs.68.4 lakh, Rs. 89.9 lakh and Rs.1.1 Crore respectively.
The Elite variant costs Rs.28.03 lakh more than the Exclusive variant. The Elite version gets a 2.0 litre, diesel engine which gets power and torque figures that are comparable to the Exclusive and Expression variants 2.1 litre diesel engine.
The V-Class gets a stylish new grille at the front and a new bumper as well as a new design for the alloy wheels. The feature list is a long one and Mercedes Benz is offering S-Class like seating in the V-Class and a hi fidelity sound and entertainment system from Burmester, available only in the Elite variant.
There are three new colours introduced for the V-Class which include Steel Blue, Graphite Grey, and Selenite Grey. One of the fiercest competitors to the V-Class is the Toyota Vellfire.
The Expression and Exclusive variants get a 2.1 litre, diesel, BS6 compliant unit that produces a maximum output of 163 bhp and 380 Nm of torque while being paired to a 7-speed automatic transmission. While the Elite version gets the same power and torque figures from a 2.0 litre, BS6 compliant diesel engine, however, it gets paired to a 9-GTronic automatic transmission as opposed to the 7-speed automatic.
As far as features go, the V-Class gets turbine style air-conditioning vents, S-Class rear seats, massage functions, automatic climate control, panoramic sunroof and a Burmester audio system. For safety features, the V-Class gets a total of 6-airbags, collision prevention assistance, lane assist, headlight assist, crosswind assist, tyre pressure monitoring system, and a 360-degree vision camera with blind spot detection.
Comfort and convenience features include front seats that can be swivelled 180 degrees to face the rear seat passengers, ambient lighting, two-zone automatic climate control and an infotainment system with GPS navigation.
The Mercedes Benz V-Class really has no direct rivals other than the Toyota Vellfire in top end trim.
Kia Carnival
The luxury van from Kia is priced at Rs.30 lakh (ex-showroom pan-India). It is available in three trim packages namely Prestige, Limousine, and Limousine Plus. Depending on the trim variant you choose, it can be had in a 6- or 7-seater configuration.
Engine duties carried out on the Kia Carnival include a 2.2 litre diesel unit that has a maximum power output of 200 bhp and a maximum torque of 440 Nm. This engine gets an 8-speed automatic gearbox.
Comfort features include a 3-zone automatic climate control, dual panel sunroof, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system placed on the driver dashboard, and a 10 inch infotainment touchscreen for the middle row passengers.
For safety the Kia Carnival gets 6 airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), cornering brake control, and hill assist. The Kia Carnival doesn’t get any direct rivals because it is placed above the Toyota Innova as far as its price is concerned, and well below the Toyota Vellfire and Mercedes V-Class.
The practicality of the Kia Carnival combined with innovative engineering make the cabin effortlessly versatile as a people carrier in the luxury van segment. Its second and third row seats are supremely comfortable. The Carnival comes loaded with features like an entertainment system for the middle row passengers, dual sunroofs and VIP like seats.
There is plenty of cabin space on the inside and luggage space in the boot section has an innovative solution. Disadvantages of the Kia Carnival include an exterior body size that is sometimes too large for regular parking lots. Since the ground clearance isn’t too large, the Carnival remains limited for city use and well paved roads. As soon as the going gets tough, you will find the undercarriage scraping the road. Although it does come in a 9-seater configuration, it is a tight squeeze for 9 adults.
ARAI mileage for the Kia Carnival is rated at 14.11 kmpl, from its 2199cc, 4-cylinder, diesel engine. Boot space is an enormous 540 litres which is plenty of space for all passenger’s luggage. The body type is of a multi-utility vehicle or a luxury van and fuel tank capacity is 60 litres which gives the Kia Carnival its long range and makes it suitable for long highway journeys.
Conclusion
Among the many features of a luxury van, the one that stands out the most is that it is practical. It is a convenient way to have the whole family in one vehicle with enough space to carry their luggage, and enough luxury features to keep them in absolute comfort while you get there.
It may not be the best vehicle for the city, but on long highway journeys, nothing beats a luxury van. You may ask, is a luxury van expensive? The answer is you can get a luxury van starting from a price range of Rs.18 lakhs (Toyota Innova) going all the way to 1 Crore (Mercedes Benz V-Class). So there is a wide choice for luxury van buyers.
Luxury vans are perfect for road trips because there is enough space for the kids and grandparents, and everyone else in between. You get lots of storage space, which you could never get enough of in an SUV. It is great for a whole family because everyone gets their own space while being entertained by the high-end infotainment system.
Luxury vans also come with great resale value, so when it is time to move onto another vehicle, you can still get a good price and won’t lose out too much on depreciation.
