The JPN Taxi is designed to cater to passengers from all walks of life including children, seniors, wheelchair users, and visitors to Japan from abroad especially during the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The front-wheel drive taxi is available in Premium and Standard grades, priced at 3,499,200 yen (RM131,000) and 3,277,800 yen (RM123,000) respectively.
Toyota aims to change Japan's landscape, develop barrier-free cities, and transform Japan into a tourist-oriented country by promoting the widespread use of its JPN Taxis.
The taxi showcases a people-friendly, universal design that provides usability and comfort to a wide range of people, from grab handles to the overall vehicle structure. Design features include a low, flat floor, making it easy for customers to enter and exit from the taxi, a wide-opening, power rear sliding door (left side only, right side is swing-out type) and space to accommodate wheelchair users.
In addition, the taxi is designed to complement the cityscape while at the same time being easily recognisable as a taxi. This is achieved in part due to the car's styling, which aims to transcend trends and serve as a timeless classic model, as well as the body's deep indigo (koiai) tone, a traditional colour that has long been a symbol of Japan.
Furthermore, this model offers the driver an optimal range of vision, in part through innovations to the position and shape of the pillars and the use of fender mirrors. As a design priority for this taxi model, functionality was improved by positioning the dashboard instruments and other devices in the taxi to allow easy access, including the placement of the GPS system and taxi meter in a spot that is easy for customers to see.
By employing a newly developed liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) hybrid system with a 1.5-litre engine, the new model offers 19.4km/L fuel economy and helps reduced CO2 emissions. Enhancements were made to safety equipment, including the addition of the Toyota Safety Sense C package and six airbags as standard features.
As the taxi is based on the Sienta, it is not as spacious as the London Taxi. Its chief engineer, Hiroshi Kayukawa, was also responsible for the Sienta's development, and was in fact in Malaysia for the Sienta launch in August last year.
Toyota began its venture into the taxi industry in Japan in 1936 with the introduction of the Toyota Model AA. In 1953, Toyota released the Toyopet Super RH model and other vehicles, which have become fixtures helping transport many people over the years.
The JPN Taxi will be on display at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, which starts this week.
