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Toyota Releases Porte and Spade to Japanese Market

3K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  Camread 
#1 ·


Toyota has just launched the second generation of the Porte mini-MPV and it now has a twin, called the Toyota Spade. These are only sold in Japan but wow are they interesting.

While not Kei cars, they are quite small and are based on the Yaris. The Japanese public asked for small cars with minivan-like capabilities so that is what Toyota is providing. Shoppers can get four or five seat Porte and Spades, both use the same CVT. Buyers choose between a 1.3 or a 1.5 liter engine. The driver's side features a door for the front row and a second for the back. This is teamed with a "large, passenger-side remote-controlled sliding door. The door can be opened and closed using a wireless key or by the touch of a button from the driver or rear seats.”



The 1.3 engine models feature a start-stop idling system to improve fuel economy for the sake of government incentives. The Spade can be differentiated from the Porte by its trim line which goes along the shoulder of the entire car, just below the windows. One unique selling feature is this car can be optioned with a lift for wheelchair users. Over on our side of the Pacific, wheelchair users generally have to choose between a truck or a minivan if they want a factory converted car to feature a wheelchair lift.



The Porte is sold through Toyopet and Toyota dealers while the Spade is sold through Corolla and Netz dealers. This makes the Porte an interesting choice but the Spade would fail here unless they changed the name to something that has never been used as a racial slur. Porte comes from the French word for door. Spade was chosen because it is a combination of "space" and wide".

For more, see the story at The Truth about Cars
 
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