As far as MPVs go, the Toyota Zenix is one of the nicer ones out there. The car-like ride and handling is worlds away from the Innova, giving a more refined driving experience. It’s more spacious, too, and it generally feels fresher than its truck-based counterpart.
It’s not perfect though, and we do wish there was one variant that Toyota would release for the local market. That would be the eight-seater version.
The Philippine-spec Zenix is available in two variants, the 2.0 V gas and 2.0 Q Hybrid. But regardless of the trim level, the second-row seats consists of individual captain’s chairs. They’re great for relaxing, but it does limit practicality.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
PBBM aims to have the Metro Manila Subway operational by 2028
Honda’s upcoming EV kei car might just go global
Meanwhile, in other markets, the Zenix gets a proper 60:40 bench seat in the middle row. We say it would be wise for Toyota Motor Philippines to, at the very least, consider it for local sale. After all, there have been commenters who’d like one of these, but were put off by the captain’s chairs.
Checking out the Malaysian and Indian-market models, it appears that the eight-seater versions are only for the gas-powered models. At the time of writing, we couldn’t see any markets that offered eight seats with a hybrid powertrain.
Granted, the Innova is around for those who need a bench seat in the second-row, but surely there are some Zenix shoppers – or even owners – who wished the same option would be available to them. If anything, it can lower the price of the unit if it didn’t come with those captain’s chairs.
Our ideal spec? That would be an eight-seat hybrid variant. While the hybrid is positioned as a more premium product, we do hope Toyota does offer a more ‘basic’ version but with a touch of electrification, something like a 2.0V Hybrid. Of course, it might be tough to justify this sort of variant given that the Innova still exists, but we reckon it has all the potential to be a winner.
