With its revamped flagship showroom and refreshed online presence, Toyota's local authorised dealer, Borneo Motors, has been hard at work to augment the buying and ownership experiences for its customers. Even so, it hasn't forgotten to meet them where they are - offline, and in the heartlands.
After visiting United Square and Bedok Mall earlier this year, the brand has brought nearly its entire family to Northeast-siders with its latest Premium Brand Showcase at Waterway Point.
A quick scan of the cars on display here will show the impressive extent to which Toyota has successfully hybridised models across various sizes, segments and body styles.
For instance, even the Toyota Harrier - a mid-sized, premium SUV - is offered with a hybrid drivetrain. When Sgcarmart drove the car across two days a while back, we managed an incredible consumption figure of 19.6km/L. Singapore also welcomed the Corolla Cross Hybrid to its shores earlier this year, which impressed us with its fuel efficiency, practicality, and familiarity despite being an all-new model.
There are nonetheless two standouts among this hybridised crew that should appeal to different sorts of families for different reasons.
If it has suddenly dawned upon you and your spouse during the recent September school holidays that an economical roundabout might make outings a lot more fuss-free, the Yaris Cross Hybrid is a great place to start for the growing family.
Its rear seats are decently commodious for a car this size, boot space is class-leading at 390 litres, while its 1.5-litre engine and electric motor give it decent punch, and more importantly, excellent fuel economy. This Cherry Blossom wrap should be quite familiar by now too; the car was reintroduced with the Urban Palette Collection earlier this year, unlocking up to eight new special colours.
On the other hand, couples who constantly move around with both their children and their own ageing parents in tow will surely find the space in the Sienta Hybrid compelling.
Despite its compact dimensions, the Sienta's boxy shape makes life for rear passengers very pleasant still thanks to the abundance of headroom on offer. Getting into the rear is also not too difficult with the nifty 'tumble-forward' functionality of the second row - which also lends itself to a generous amount of boot space when the 50:50 third row is folded away.
Best of all, the Sienta Hybrid feels more grown up now with its clean cabin, and modern amenities including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. We also noted the Sienta Hybrid to be more refined on the road than before in its current iteration - and a consummate fuel sipper too.
Like the other cars here, both the Sienta Hybrid and Yaris Cross Hybrid also come with Toyota Safety Sense - the brand's comprehensive suite of safety assistance features - which includes blind spot monitoring and lane departure warnings.
For those still gravitating towards sedans, the Corolla Altis should need no introduction by now - but the Toyota Premium Brand Showcase at Waterway Point actually marks the first time ever that the red carpet has been rolled out for the model's slightly refreshed, 2023 variant.
With the facelift, the Corolla Altis now comes with subtle exterior updates, including a new front grille mesh and a new rim design. Less visible, but nonetheless important enhancements include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an electronic parking brake, a new nanoe™️X(-)Ion Generator and Pollen Filter, and keyless entry on both the driver and passenger sides (all on the Elegance trim).
To celebrate the launch of the 2023 Corolla Altis, Borneo Motors is also offering an exclusive roadshow discount of $5,000 to buyers of the car in Standard trim, alongside a complementary 10-year servicing and one-year Toyota Body Fix package.
It's not just buyers of the Corolla Altis Standard who stand to gain at the roadshow though. As with other Premium Brand Showcases held by Toyota, exciting freebies await those who buy any car at Waterway Point during this period - including a free 55-inch QLED 4K Q60A Samsung TV, worth $1,899. Buyers can also look forward to a potential $1,200 rebate and attractive financing solutions which include the possibility of a $0 downpayment.
The Toyota Premium Brand Showcase at Waterway Point can now be visited at the Level 1 Atrium of Waterway Point (West Wing), from now till 17 September.
