Jacky Yong

It’s a Toyota Estima. Hybrid. Yes one of the rare Estima with Hybrid, and this one is the older ACR30 equivalent. Yup, it’s mine now, after my last Proton car failed on me. (The engine died after its engine oil dried up, but that’s another eulogy for another post)

The Toyota Estima Hybrid AHR30W is  a modification from the ACR30, same body, same interior. Only difference is the addition of the hybrid system and I guess most probably the engine. According to Google, it is most likely the 2AZ-FXE engine, which is the modification of the normal Estima 2AZ-FE engine to have a different compression ratio vs expansion ratio, i.e. a more efficient Atkinson Engine. The AHR10W also comes with a CVT drivetrain, which is only unique to the Hybrid variant of the Estima.

Estima Hybrid AHR10W in da house!

Interior

Let’s start with what it looks like on the inside. As I mentioned earlier, nothing is different from the petrol variant of the ACR30. It’s got sunroof, rear camera, sliding vacuum door on both sides (but no power door), executive seats (fabric), multi-functional touch screen and a huge interior space!

Interior space, front seats

Executive seats. Now the kids will never fight for sleeping space!

The sliding door is good for ingress and egress, a huge plus for old folks like my dad.

Anything different with this view? Some say that the chrome gear knob tip is a sign for G spec, which is the luxurious variant, but I can’t be too sure

I must mention the unique air-cond shown above. There is A/C, and there is A/C Full. What A/C full basically means is that the engine is turning the air-cond compressor full time, whereas in A/C, the compressor is turned by the electric motor, which is weaker. This being a hybrid car, using a more efficient air conditioning system seems to be a challenge, especially since the engine sometimes shuts itself down to conserve petrol.

This video below shows how the meter lights up when the engine starts. Kinda cool if you ask me.

Engine

When you open the engine compartment you will notice how the hybrid system is built on top of the conventional engine:

Hybrid system on the right, normal engine on the left

The other parts of the hybrid is hidden from view, such as the battery and the regenerative braking system.

Exterior

Nothing much differentiates this Estima from a conventional Estima, except for some signs that are only visible upon closer inspection:

Hybrid on the side

E-Four Hybrid Synergy Drive. This has a very significant meaning, not just fancy names

Estima Hybrid from the back

In Operation

The ride is a typical Toyota ride, plush, soft and boring, in a good sense. Which means that this Estima is tuned more for comfort rather than power or cornering. On long cross highway rides, you will appreciate the quietness of the engine and the wind; almost nothing intrudes into the cabin. Being so spacious, the kids can finally sleep on an entire sofa without fighting. In low speeds when only the electric motor works to drive the wheels, the quietness is even more apparent. Even when the vehicle is stopped while engaged in D, you can’t even feel the vibration of the engine, because the engine would sometimes shut itself off to conserve petrol! The deafening silence really needs some getting used to!

That said, I am not implying that the Estima is a laggard at the corners. Notice the term E-Four? That means that all four wheels are driven by the electric motor when necessary. And when is that necessary? During slippery road conditions and at medium to high speed cornering. Yup that’s right, the Estima Hybrid engages all 4 wheels during cornering, which means that the car is actually very drivable at the corners. In actual use, I can barely feel the car understeering at all, especially at high speeds! Better than the Altis or most other front wheel drive sedans for that matter!

What? All in japanese? This screen means that the power is being transferred from the battery to the wheels via the motor. When the brake is being pressed or the throttle is released, the arrows goes the other way, charging the battery.

So the question in everyone’s mind is, how much fuel can the hybrid save me? I have only refuelled it 3 times so far. Each tank cost me around RM120, and the odometer shows 680 km. Is that good? I can’t be sure, but for a car weighing at 2 tonnes, I think it’s pretty good. Have a look at the comparison against all the cars that I know of :

Also some of you may be asking, how much is the damage? For this Estima, RM97,500.