Christmas : Toyota Passo Sette 7-seater MPV 2008 Debut

Toyota and Daihatsu have called for a joint press conference in Japan on Christmas day to unveil their latest 7-seater compact MPV, strongly believed to be named the Toyota Passo Sette and the Daihatsu Boon Ruminous.

After the car’s public unveiling this month, it will go on sale early next year about the same time as Proton is expected to launch its MPV, which could pose a problem for Proton as potential customers in Malaysia would be able to get a preview of this new MPV that will hit Malaysian roads as a Perodua in Q3 2009, just half a year after the Proton MPV is launched.

Still, the two vehicles are not exactly in the same segment. This new Toyota/Daihatsu/Perodua MPV is smaller than the Proton MPV. However because is primarily a Daihatsu product, it inherits the Japanese K-car’s expertise in squeezing the most space into the smallest package. The engine under the hood will be the 3SZ-VE 1.5 liter that’s found in the Toyota Avanza, but installed transversely instead of longitudinally and powering the front wheels instead of the rear wheels.

Dimensions	New MPV	Sienta	Wish	Freed	Myvi F/L
Length	4180mm	4100mm	4650mm	4215mm	3750mm
Width	1695mm	1695mm	1745mm	1695mm	1665mm
Height	1620mm	1670mm	1600mm	1715mm	1550mm
Wheelbase	2750mm	2700mm	2750mm	2740mm	2440mm