There's a reason SUVs and the smaller crossovers are still kings of the road, making up more than one in every three cars sold worldwide in the same period: They're comfortable, versatile, and practical. No wonder then that carmakers are still scrambling to offer their own versions of SUVs and crossovers to a market hungry for these rugged, larger vehicles.
But if you're a first-time SUV buyer, you might want to check out the Toyota Rush.
The Rush is powered by a 1.5-liter inline-four dual VVT-I gasoline engine, which is similar to the one found on the Vios. There’s a five-speed manual and four-speed automatic, as well as a five-seater and seven-seater. How much it costs would depend on which one you get: the 1.5 E five-seater MT starts at P948,000, the 1.5 E five-seater AT is at P988,000 and the 1.5G seven-seater AT is at P1.07 million.
Using the BPI Auto Loan calculator (20% down payment, 60 months amortization), here's how much you'll have to pay monthly:
1.5 E five-seater MT
SRP: P948,000
Downpayment: P189,600
Monthly: P16,182
1.5 E five-seater AT
SRP: P988,000
Downpayment: P197,600
Monthly: P16,860
1.5G seven-seater AT
SRP: P1,070,000
Downpayment: P214,000
Monthly: P18,265
Cristina Arevalo, Toyota’s first vice president for brand and product development, shared the marketing brief the company used to market the Rush.
“We wanted to communicate that, in the midst of the ordinary, the extraordinary is within reach,” she said. “We want people to ‘break away from the everyday.’”
The Rush is Toyota's entry-level SUV and comes in a 5-seater and 7-seater models
Other features include a smart entry system, push-button engine start/stop, 17-inch alloy wheels, power sockets and 13 bottle-holders spread out around the cabin, and, for the seven-seater, double-folding seats for additional cargo space.
“The Toyota Rush captures a segment in the SUV or commercial vehicle segment,” said Toyota Motors Philippines Vice Chairman Alfred Ty. “This is a new product line unavailable in the past. Either you want a bigger model with a bigger (price tag), or you want something (smaller) to fit your budget. This one can answer both. So affordability is there.”
With additional reporting by Ysabel Y. Yuzon
This story originally appeared on Entrepreneur.com.ph.
* Minor edits have been made by the Femalenetwork.com editors.