Wish come true

Toyota's highly popular Wish gets a smaller engine, but an overall boost




Is it really new?

Not on the outside; but under the bonnet, yes. The Wish 2.0 multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) was launched by local Toyota distributor, Borneo Motors, late last year. Now, there's an officially-imported 1.8-litre version.

The new car's slightly smaller engine capacity means you pay $220 less a year for road tax. And it's no regular engine, but a new one. It has dual variable valve-timing and also Toyota's "Valvematic" technology, which does away with the traditional throttle valves and helps improve fuel efficiency.

And when you get in the driver's seat, instead of being old-fashioned and having to turn a key, you just have to push an engine start button.

Same car, new engine - how differently does it drive?

It doesn't feel significantly different from its 2.0-litre brother, so it still makes its length felt. Obviously, this is meant to be a practical car, not a sporty one.

It weighs less overall and the use of a smaller engine means lower fuel bills. After all, the 200cc hasn't made this car significantly slower. Its continuously-variable transmission helps keep fuel economy up, too, and we easily achieved over 13km/L - not far off from Toyota's 14.9km/L claim.

Should I get one?

If you want an utterly practical MPV, you can't go wrong with the Wish. Parallel importers have this model, too, but cars sold by Borneo come with a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty, and the additional peace of mind that comes from buying official, of course. -Andy Hum.todayonline.com

Toyota Wish 1.8

Engine: 1,798cc inline 4, 144bhp

Performance: 180kmh, 0-100kmh in 11.0 seconds