Toyota Estima: description, technical characteristics, photo, reviews

The modern market of minivans is very much oversaturated with various models of various manufacturers. Any automotive concern that has a wide range of models does not leave this segment of the consumer market without attention. Model series and bundling not only stir consciousness, but also make you think about how the human brain could come up with such innovations. However, do not forget that there are always so-called "pioneers". In this case, we mean a model that set the pace of development of modern family cars - the Toyota Estima.

It all started with him

The Estima minivan was built on a futuristic platform and had a central engine layout. It was this car that helped set a new trend and pace of development in the creation of cars of this class. In total at the moment, the minivan has three generations, the last of which is produced to this day.

In the familiar name "Toyota-Lucid-Estima" was produced and continues to be produced for the Japanese market. For the US and European market, a modification was made with the steering wheel on the left - Toyota Previa.

History of development and creation

The first generation of the minivan was designed in 1987 by designers David Doyle and Tokyo Fukuichi. The car had a unique platform at the time and a mid-engine layout. According to the designers, the four-cylinder in-line engine was located almost in a horizontal position at an angle of 70 degrees, lying on its side under the seats of the driver and passenger. The main goal of the developers was to use all sorts of non-standard experimental solutions, so that in the future they could be used in new models.

First generation

The first "Estima" was released in 1990. Later, in 1992, there were variants of the Toyota Estima- Emin and Lucid-Estima, which differed a little with a shorter body and a complete set. The main innovation at that time was the installation of the engine at a certain angle, which gave a special practical meaning to the design. Of course, such an arrangement had its negative consequences, namely the complexity of access to the engine. But for small maintenance, for example, to replace the candles, a special hatch was placed under the passenger seat of the front row.

For more serious repairs, the Toyota Estima was equipped with the SADS (Supplemental Accessory Drive System) system. It implied an unusual design solution, thanks to which the air conditioning compressor, generator and other attachments were located remotely from the engine. A special shaft with a pulley was used to drive the system.

Engine

As it was said above, the mid-engine arrangement was quite an unusual solution, but it made it possible to achieve an almost perfect weighting, so the minivan had excellent control. One of the drawbacks of this method of installing ICE was the difficulty of replacing it with a more powerful and, accordingly, more cumbersome unit. To make this possible, the mechanics had to significantly change the bodywork.

In view of the fact that the model was delivered to different parts of the world, Toyota Estima, a photo of which can be considered in the presented material, was equipped with different types of engines and drive systems. So, the American version was equipped with only gasoline engines paired with the front-wheel drive. In Japan, it was possible to find a variant with a diesel engine of 2.2 liters and a full drive with the All-Trac transmission.

Salon and layout

A huge plus of the Toyota Estime minivan was undoubtedly the salon, which was supposed to provide comfort to a large family in various situations that could arise in the course of even the longest travels. Two variants of the salon were provided: for seven and eight passengers respectively. Regardless of the chosen option, the driver's and front passenger's seats "looked" in the direction of travel, but the second row of seats was turned in the opposite direction.

In addition, in the middle row, the seats were separated from each other and consisted of two parts: for two and one passengers. This arrangement involved changing the configuration of free space in the car. It was possible to lay down one seat and turn the Toyota Estime car showroom, the photo of which is presented above, into the dining area with a banquet table. The third row of seats included two high-grade armchairs with armrests in the version with a seven-seat layout. With the eight-seat layout, the rear row of seats was identical to the middle one. In this case, in any case, it was possible to fold all the seats and get a berth for the entire cabin, without having to touch the space of the trunk.

The second and third generation of Toyota Estima, reviews

The second generation was produced from 2000 to 2006, it was created on the platform of the Toyota Camry model and received a slightly longer body. The change in the base of the minivan allowed to change the layout to the front-engine and made it possible to install a new line of power units. So, in a ruler entered hybrid V6 in volume of 3 liters with the additional electromotor. Also there was a second sliding door on the other side of the body.

The third generation of the Toyota Estima car appeared in 2006 and is still manufactured, having already completed two body restyling. Compared with previous generations, at present the minivan is equipped with a large set of functions and, as the motorists note, a more comfortable interior. The main innovations are the computer help system for parking (usual and parallel - this is also counted by its owners as pluses), the Synergy Drive hybrid drive system, as well as a second-row seat suspension system with tilt pillows. Thanks to the combined "Camry-Highlander" platform, the car also received a new line of engines, led by a 3.5-liter V6.

It is worth adding that Toyota Estima has become an icon of minivans. It was this car that asked and continues to set the pace of development of modern family cars. On the territory of Russia, a great analogue is being sold - Toyota Alfard, which will be no less comfortable and pleasant for trips by the whole family to rest and to any distant travel. And all the amenities that are equipped with a car, will make any trip simply unforgettable.