Toyota Japan Releases New Compact Car Porte

Toyota Motor Corporation announced today the nationwide launch of the Porte at “Toyota” and “Toyopet” dealers. Based on the concept of a “Smart Life Supporter”, the Porte (derived from the French word for “door”) was developed following a detailed analysis of changes in people’s lifestyles and of lifestyle scenarios with the aim of making life more enjoyable and convenient. The result is a new-concept compact car distinguished by its unprecedented innovation.

On the front passenger seat side, all vehicles are fitted with a wide-opening wireless remote-control electric sliding door. By lowering ground clearance to just 300mm and at the same time making the doorway flat, excellent ease of ingress and egress have been achieved. Meanwhile, the roomy interior space produced by the high cabin height and flat floor, unparalleled for a vehicle in the compact car class, realizes outstanding utility and offers a whole new range of use.

The Porte’s innovative sliding door, with an opening width of 1,020mm and opening height of 1,265mm, makes it possible for all occupants to enter and exit the vehicle through the same door, which can also be used to load and unload all luggage and other items. This establishes groundbreaking levels of ease of ingress and egress and utility, and marks a departure from fixed ideas about having a different door for each occupant or separate doors for occupants and luggage.

The flatter, lower floor and the cabin height of 1,390mm, which surpasses that of many minivans, make for a spacious interior that allows smooth entry and exit and movement within the vehicle, in a walk-in, walk-through design.

Giving the passenger seat a long sliding range of 750mm makes possible versatile seat arrangements and offers new ways of using the interior space. Based on the Toyota design philosophy of “vibrant clarity,” and centering on the design theme of “smart modern”, the Porte presents a simple exterior with a fresh sense of presence and a cabin featuring the comfort of a residential interior and a feeling of great openness.

The seats are available in to colors setups: a bright and fresh orange and ivory two-tone or a chic light-brown monotone.

A new air cleaning technology called Plasmacluster Ions* fills the cabin with fresh air. The seat fabric is made of Fraichir, a material that incorporates the protein sericin (which is derived from natural silk) in its fibers to reduce skin irritation.

Excellent functionality is sought with multiple storage spaces that include Toyota’s first-ever umbrella holder and a remote-controlled Smart Door Lock system.

Innovative package simple to use for everyone

The Porte’s most standout feature is its remote-control all-purpose sliding door, which can be used for both occupant entry/exit and luggage loading/unloading.

Standard on all versions, this passenger-seat-side door opens and closes electrically, with a large opening 1,020mm in width and 1,265mm in height. It can be operated using a single switch from the driver’s seat or passenger seat and from inside or outside the vehicle.

An easy-closing mechanism for the sliding door fully and securely closes the door automatically once it is lightly closed.

A walk-in, walk-through design facilitates smooth entry and exit and interior mobility.

A flat doorway combines with a ground clearance of only 300mm for easy access, while a lower floor and higher cabin height allow for smooth interior movement.

Spacious interior

The generous cabin height of 1,390mm and the ample legroom of 1,050mm between the front and rear seats create a space with high levels of comfort.

The front passenger seat features a long sliding range of 750mm and a seatback table. The rear seats comes with a 60:40-split and a cushion tip-up function (130i “C package” / 150r). Together, these allow versatile seat arrangements, including a “triangular mode”, which facilitates unhindered communication between the driver’s seat, the front passenger seat, and the rear seat on the driver’s side.

Fresh and smart design

The arched cabin, the large rounded front mask, and other features make for a simple style with a sense of presence accented by the Porte’s taut and fresh surfaces.

The interior space with its strong feeling of openness and “at-home” comfort, a novel geometric surface finish, and the clarity of design of the seat coverings make for a bright, unisex interior. User-friendly features

A Smart Door Lock system allows doors to be locked and unlocked easily by having a key on one’s person (130i “C package” / 150r).

A new air cleaning technology called Plasmacluster Ions*, which releases a balanced ratio of positive and negative ions into the cabin and prevents the propagation of airborne germs and mold bacteria, fills the cabin with fresh air (130i “C package” / 150r).

The seat fabric is made of Fraichir, a material that incorporates the protein sericin (which is derived from natural silk) in its fibers to reduce skin irritation (130i “C package” / 150r).

The Porte also features storage space that pays close attention to functionality, including an umbrella holder and a spacious multi-purpose storage compartment.

Brisk performance and high levels of safety

Drive performance The 1.5-liter and 1.3-liter engines with VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing–intelligent) ensure brisk road performance, while the use of a Super ECT (Super Intelligent four-speed automatic transmission) provides smooth acceleration and high fuel efficiency.

Suspension and a high-rigidity body based on a proven formula make for comfortable driving.

Safety Collision safety features include a GOA (Global Outstanding Assessment) collision-safety body that incorporates the concept of omni-directional compatibility, and a pedestrian-injury-lessening body structure.

Environmental features All vehicles achieve emission levels 50% lower than 2005 standards under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Approval System for Low-emission Vehicles and the Japanese government’s 2010 fuel efficiency standards (fuel efficiency standards specified by the Law Concerning the Rational Use of Energy).

Materials with excellent recyclability are used and the usage of substances of environmental concern has also been reduced.

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