Toyota Porte

Juniper Foo | Jul 29, 2004

More copycat styling from the Japanese, this time borrowing an idea from the Europeans (namely Peugeot), even down to the name (Porte in French means "door"). Toyota's Porte transplants the sliding door concept of passenger vans into a subcompact town car, making it possible for all occupants to enter and exit the vehicle through the same door. Unlike the two-sided Peugeot 1007 , the Japan-only Porte features a single door on the passenger side that's wirelessly controlled by remote. Now that there's only one entry, one wonders what the etiquette is on who gets to the door first. After you, my good fella. No, after you. No, no, I insist...

Price: ¥1,386,000 to ¥1,575,000 (US$12,640 to US$14,480)
Availability: Only in Japan
Device: Subcompact car with electric sliding doors
Basic specs: In 1.3-liter or 1.5-liter engine capacity, four-speed automatic, ionized climate control; silk-derived natural fabric seats, column-mounted transmission, flat-folding front seat, 99m long by 69m wide by 1.72m tall

Filed under: Gadgets
Leave a comment | Bookmark | Share