Even before its official launch last Friday, quite a number of people have asked this writer about the all-new Toyota Rush. Questions like how much and how many people it would fit. By the looks of it, the new Rush is turning out to be one of the most eagerly anticipated vehicles for 2018.
So what’s with the hype surrounding the newest Toyota? Why are people suddenly excited to flock to Toyota dealerships to check out the Rush? (not that they don’t already go there in droves) Why are they Rush-ing (pun intended). Seriously, it may have to do with the fact that it’s a 7-seat SUV. And it’s a Toyota.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’d know that Filipinos (just like everyone else around the world) love Sport Utility Vehicles. You don’t need sales charts to prove this. Simply observe what’s out on EDSA or C-5 and you’ll see what we mean. What makes this vehicle even more attractive is the budget-friendly price. Imagine plunking down just P948,000 for the 1.5E 5-seater and you already have a decent SUV in your garage.
It used to be that getting a seven-seat SUV like say, the Fortuner, set one back around P1.3 million for the 2.7G gasoline version (that was the previous-gen Fortuner). With the new Rush, the top-spec 1.5G variant only costs P1,070,000. For that money, you get 7 seats, as well as goodies like touchscreen infotainment system, pushbutton start, and six SRS airbags, just to name a few.
And yes, this vehicle is a Toyota. Sure, buyers also have the Honda BR-V and equally new Mitsubishi Xpander to choose from. Both these vehicles offer the same goodies that are becoming par for the course (except for the six airbags, which is a plus for Toyota). But people seem to gravitate to the twin elipses because of what the brand stands for—easy servicing and a reputation for reliability. They somehow feel safe knowing that they can easily buy spare parts at their friendly sari-sari store.
Kidding aside, it is this reputation for easy serviceability and reliability that seems to be adding to the hype surrounding the smallest and newest Toyota SUV. Of course, only time will tell if all this is merely new car hype. But by the looks of it, it seems that Toyota has another winner on its hands.
