Toyota and Daihatsu Launched Compact 7-seater

Toyota Passo Sette G

TOKYO : December 25, 2008 — TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) and Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. (Daihatsu) announce today the nationwide launch of a seven-seater compact vehicle with three rows of seats that will be sold in Japan under the Toyota brand as the "Passo Sette"^*1 and under the Daihatsu brand as the "Boon Luminas"^*2

Daihatsu Boon Luminas CX

The roomy, user-friendly and stylish compacts are small enough to make handling easy and big enough to accommodate seven people. Featuring the driving-assistance features and comforts often favored by female drivers, the Passo Sette and Boon Luminas offer added flexibility for mothers with young children and help support active and exciting lifestyles.

For the Passo Sette and Boon Luminas, TMC and Daihatsu combined their product-planning know-how, with Daihatsu putting to use its extensive experience in compact vehicles to be in charge of development and production. Daihatsu will supply the Passo Sette to TMC on an original equipment manufacturer basis.

Engine Specifications

• The 1.5-liter 3SZ-VE engine and a four-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission with a lockup mechanism provide excellent acceleration performance.
  
• The long wheelbase and wide track provide excellent cruising stability.
  
• Optimization of the engine mount position and placement of sound-absorbing and sound-blocking materials achieve quietness in the cabin that aids relaxed conversation.
  
• An Eco-Drive Indicator lights up to indicate fuel efficient driving.
  
• Toyota employed the Eco-Vehicle Assessment System (Eco-VAS), its original comprehensive environmental impact assessment system. This includes setting environmental targets at the start of vehicle development to help reduce factors harmful to the environment by such means as the balanced reduction of CO₂ emissions.
  
• A life-cycle assessment was carried out to achieve a reduction in air contaminants and CO₂ from the vehicle throughout its life, from production and use to disposal.

*1 Sette: Means seven in Italian, and refers to the seven seats in the Passo Sette
*2 Luminas: A coinage drawing on the English words roomy and luminous. The name is intended to evoke the image of a vehicle that provides new splendor to its occupants.

[Source : TOYOTA]