[CAR REVIEW] Toyota Veloz Cross: Safe, Strong, Trustworthy

Discover the incredible success story of the Toyota Veloz Cross

According to recent statistics from Toyota Vietnam, the Veloz Cross has sold over 14,000 units in just 9 months since its launch in March 2022. This translates to an average of more than 1,500 cars being sold every month, enabling the Veloz Cross to capture a remarkable 40.3% market share in the small 7-seater vehicle segment and consistently rank among the top 10 best-selling cars in the Vietnamese market.

This success prompted Toyota Vietnam to introduce a domestically assembled version of the Veloz Cross, starting production on December 28, 2022. With 237 localized components, this move aims to diversify and stabilize the product supply.

The key reason behind the Toyota Veloz Cross’s exceptional success lies in its unique ability to cater to the desires of users, particularly families. The model offers a combination of spaciousness, convenience, durability, fuel efficiency, and safety. Speaking of safety, it is currently one of the most important and challenging aspects to verify.

When it comes to safety, the Toyota Veloz Cross deserves special recognition for achieving a 5-star safety certification from Asean NCAP, with an overall evaluation score of 79.99. Additionally, this MPV incorporates the Toyota Safety Sense advanced safety driving support package, which offers leading features in its segment.

However, it is crucial to validate whether the Veloz Cross lives up to its evaluation score and truly ensures safety. The only way to find the answer is through real-world driving tests.

Real-world testing of Toyota Safety Sense

1. Pre-collision warning PCS: This feature enables each Toyota Veloz Cross to detect vehicles in front and issue warnings. It can also intervene in the throttle and brake systems to reduce speed and avoid collisions or minimize damage if a collision is unavoidable (excluding pedestrians or bicycles).

Testing in a designated area demonstrates the car’s ability to detect obstacles and promptly respond within a speed range of 4 to 120 km/h, covering almost all normal driving conditions on Vietnamese roads. However, it is important for users to understand that this is a driving support feature and should never be solely relied upon. Drivers must always maintain control of the steering wheel and be proactive in all road situations to avoid potential risks.

2. Automatic high beam AHB: This feature allows the car to automatically switch between low beam and high beam modes by self-recognizing the front lighting conditions (absence of other vehicles or street lighting systems).

Real-world driving tests demonstrate that this automatic lighting system works effectively in low lighting conditions such as at night or inside tunnels. It ensures convenience and safety for both the driver and other road users.

3. Lane departure warning LDW/LDP: This safety feature automatically adjusts the steering wheel to help the driver maintain a steady lane position without deviating from the intended trajectory. It is particularly useful when driving at speeds above approximately 60 km/h on high-speed roads with clear lanes and long straight sections.

The tests demonstrate that the system accurately recognizes lane markings (whether white or yellow) and keeps the vehicle within the intended lane. Drivers should keep in mind that this feature only works when there are lane markings on both sides, the lane width is between 3 to 4 meters, and sudden sharp steering maneuvers should be avoided after turning off the turn signal for about 4 seconds.

4. Forward direction warning FDA: In contrast to the previous lane-keeping feature, the reminder feature for vehicles already in motion is particularly useful when driving in urban areas with frequent traffic jams or red lights.

Real-world tests reveal that the system issues an immediate warning for drivers to pay attention to the preceding vehicle and move accordingly after the car has stopped for a few seconds and detected a car in front. This helps to ensure safety and save time.

5. Speed control PMC: This feature provides a valuable supplement to the pre-collision warning PCS feature. Real-world tests demonstrate that the accelerator pedal system disengages automatically when the vehicle detects another vehicle ahead, preventing unintended acceleration.

Especially when operating at speeds below 10 km/h, this feature effectively prevents the problem of “uncontrollable cars.” It is particularly helpful for new or inexperienced drivers who may mistake the accelerator pedal for the brake pedal.

Exceptional safety features in its segment

The Toyota Veloz Cross offers not only the 5 aforementioned features in the TSS package but also a range of other safety utilities provided by the Japanese brand. The most notable of these is the 360-degree camera system, which allows drivers to easily observe their surroundings and eliminates blind spots, significantly reducing the risk of collisions.

In addition, each Veloz Cross is equipped with warning features for cross-traffic while reversing and blind spot detection, enabling drivers to quickly become aware of moving vehicles from behind and apply the brakes in a timely manner to prevent accidents.

These features are complemented by numerous other convenient and fatigue-reducing elements for drivers, such as an electronic handbrake with auto hold, a digital display with 4 different interfaces behind the steering wheel, an entertainment screen compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, automatic air conditioning, and different driving modes (Power, Eco, Normal).

In conclusion, the Toyota Veloz Cross is undoubtedly the safest model in its segment, making it the top choice for customers seeking a spacious, durable, and safe family car.

However, it would be even more appealing if the Veloz Cross were equipped with a cruise control/automatic speed control feature. Hopefully, future upgrades during its lifecycle will incorporate this utility, benefiting Vietnamese consumers.

Anh Phan (Tuoitrethudo)