Toyota's eight-seater
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A LUXURY eight-seater minibus has been introduced to Britain by Toyota.
The Model F Space-Cruiser bears a marked resemblance to the Lite-Ace van which is not yet sold in the UK.
Power comes from Toyota's four-cylinder, 2Y petrol engine which has a capacity of 1,812cc. This is coupled to a five-speed gearbox and it produces 57kW (77bhp) DIN at 4,800 rpm. Unusually for a Japanese forward control design, the SpaceCruiser comes with a floor mounted gear shift and automatic transmission is available as an option.
Toyota stresses the luxury of the Space-Cruiser, and indeed it is well equipped. All eight seats recline, there are two opening "moon" roof panels and both front doors have electricallyoperated windows. The rearmost seats can be folded and topped down to give extra luggage accommodation while retaining a five-seater capability. At the rear, a single lift-up door gives access to the luggage area or rear seats.
On the road the Toyota has a reasonable if unexciting performance, not matching up to the engine size.
The ride however is good and the vehicle seemed comfortable even on a long run. This is due perhaps to the suspension which is a double wishbone arrangement at the front with torsion bars and coil springing at the rear.
Prices are £7,601 for the manual model and £8,016 for the automatic,