2022 Toyota Veloz is more than just a fancier Avanza

Yesterday, the 2022 Toyota Avanza made its global debut in Indonesia. Featuring a brand new look inside and out, the MPV not only gets a glow-up in design but also comes with new high-tech features. Aside from the design, the Avanza now rides on a front-wheel-drive unibody platform, ditching the previous body-on-frame, rear-wheel-drive layout.

Also revealed was the all-new Veloz. But unlike the previous generation, it no longer carries the Avanza name and is instead a standalone model. So why did Toyota decide to split the Veloz name from the Avanza?

That's because while the Avanza and the Veloz share the same platform, the latter comes with its own unique exterior and interior design. The Veloz is also packed with more features compared to the standard Avanza.

Starting with the exterior, the Veloz has a unique honeycomb-like front grille paired with a distinct set of LED headlights. The bumper adopts inverted L-shaped foglight bezels and a front air dam that gives it a sportier look. Other highlights include full-width LED taillights, 17-inch alloy wheels (16-inch in lower variants), automatic folding side mirrors with puddle lamps, and chrome-finished window belts.

Like the exterior, the cabin of the Veloz is different from a regular Avanza. It gets a two-tone black and white finish, fabric-leather upholstery, as well as LED ambient lighting. Infotainment comes in the form of a 9-inch touchscreen head unit with smartphone connectivity. In addition, all variants of the Veloz come with a rear entertainment system.

Other key features available in the 2022 Veloz include a wireless smartphone charging pad, leather-wrapped steering wheel, a 7-inch digital instrument panel, new automatic climate control, and an engine start/stop button. Last but not least, the Long Sofa Mode seen in the Avanza is also available in the Veloz.

Unlike the regular Avanza which is available with a 1.3-liter engine, the Veloz only comes with the larger 1.5-liter 2NR-VE Dual VVT-i inline-four. It makes 106 PS with 137 Nm of torque and can be connected to either a five-speed manual or CVT with sequential shift.

In the top-of-the-line variants, the Veloz comes with Toyota Safety Sense as standard. This gives the MPV intelligent safety features such as a pre-collision system, front departure alert, lane-departure assist, rear-cross traffic alert, pedal misapplication control, and blind-spot monitoring.

Meanwhile, standard safety features available across the range include anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, hill-start assist, vehicle stability control, rear parking sensors, and a reverse camera (360-degree around-view on high-end models).

Since Toyota Motor Philippines currently offers the Avanza Veloz, there is a good chance they will also be offering the 2022 Veloz in the future. But before that can happen, the all-new Avanza will likely debut first, with the Veloz following suit.