Tag Archives: Mega

Motorsport

This Might Be Your Only Chance To Own Toyota’s Hummer H1 Ripoff

We were thrilled when the Toyota Mega Cruiser became legal to import a few years ago. It’s Japan’s equivalent of the Hummer H1, mainly used by the police and military. It made it onto our 2020 list of cars you could legally import because Toyota produced a small number for civilian use. Now, a 1996 Toyota Mega Cruiser is up for auction on Cars & Bids, and you can potentially own this rare vehicle in America.

Toyota manufactured this SUV from 1996 to 2001, and it’s believed that fewer than 150 were ever made for civilian use. This specific model, featuring a right-hand-drive configuration, was initially green, but it now sports a striking white color that complements the aftermarket 17-inch custom billet aluminum wheels, which replaced the original 17.5-inch rims.


Featured

Honda Delivers 100 Elevate SUVs In 1 Day In Hyderabad


Marking the significance of the model, Honda held a mega event to hand over 100 customers their Honda Elevate SUVs in one go

Honda Elevate

  • 100 Honda Elevate SUVs have been delivered on the same day at a mega event in Hyderabad. 

  • More such mega delivery events will be held across major cities of India. 

  • Gets a 1.5-litre petrol engine with manual and CVT transmissions. 

  • Features an electric sunroof, a 10.25-inch touchscreen system, and a semi-digital driver’s display. 

  • Safety is enhanced by up to six airbags, a rear camera, and ADAS. 

  • Prices range from Rs 11 lakh to Rs 16 lakh (ex-showroom). 

Deliveries of the Honda Elevate officially started across the country from the day the prices were announced. To celebrate the model and showing appreciation for the first buyers, Honda has delivered 100 Elevate SUVs at a mega delivery event in Hyderabad. More of these delivery events are being planned across major cities of India. 

Elevate Powertrain

Honda Elevate

The Honda Elevate is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine, which produces up to 121PS and 145Nm of torque. It is available with both a 6-speed manual and CVT transmission. The automatic variants of the SUV cost Rs 1.1 lakh more than the manual variants. Unlike the Honda City sedan, the Elevate does not have a hybrid option. 

Feature Summary

Honda Elevate Interior

The Honda Elevate comes with several attractive features such as an electric sunroof, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 7-inch semi-digital driver’s display, wireless charging, and an 8-speaker sound system. 

For safety, the SUV is equipped with up to six airbags, a rear parking camera, lane-watch camera, ISOFIX child seat mounts, and ADAS (advanced driver assistance system). 

Also Read: Honda Elevate SUV Variants Explained: Which One Should You Buy?

Price & Rivals

Honda Elevate

The introductory prices for the Honda Elevate SUV range from Rs 11 lakh to Rs 16 lakh (ex-showroom). The Elevate competes with the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder, Volkswagen Taigun, Citroen C3 Aircross, Skoda Kushaq, and MG Astor. 

Read More on : Elevate on road price

Cars

Toyota’s Mega Cruiser: Challenging the Hummer in Size and Capability

The Mega Cruiser, with its oversized dimensions and rear-wheel steering, holds its own against AM General’s SUV, the Hummer. Both vehicles share similar features, such as an engine mounted farther back in the chassis, portal axles for increased ground clearance, an onboard tire inflation/deflation system, and full-time all-wheel drive.

To achieve its impressive ground clearance, the Mega Cruiser elevates its drivetrain, resulting in a substantial transmission tunnel that divides the passengers. Unlike the Hummer, the Mega Cruiser’s transmission hump ends before the rear seat, allowing for a spacious four-across bench seat.

Beneath the Mega Cruiser’s expansive hood, we discover an interesting engine choice: a 4.1-liter four-cylinder turbocharged diesel. While the engine’s displacement is relatively large for a four-cylinder, it still falls short in terms of power for such a massive and heavy vehicle. With a horsepower rating of 153 and a torque rating of 282 pound-feet, it is understandably underpowered.

Just how underpowered is it? According to a test conducted by Road & Track, the Mega Cruiser took a whopping 20.6 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH. In a recent altitude test in the Colorado Rockies, a Mega Cruiser struggled to even reach 60 MPH, maxing out at 50 MPH with the throttle wide open.

On the bright side, the compact diesel engine managed to achieve a combined city/highway fuel economy of 13 MPG, which, considering the size and weight of the vehicle, is not terrible. However, it doesn’t quite reach the fuel efficiency levels of a Prius, as stated by Slashgear.

[Featured image by Hunini via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]

Cars

9 Awesome Toyotas Everyone Forgets About

One of the most interesting and impressive Toyotas that often goes unnoticed is the Mega Cruiser. It can be considered as the Japanese version of the Hummer. Initially designed for military purposes, the Mega Cruiser quickly gained popularity among civilians. Measuring over 16 feet long and 7 feet wide, this truck had enough space for six people and could carry up to 1,650 pounds of cargo. Due to its impressive capabilities, it was commonly used as a remote rescue vehicle. Emergency services also developed several units for their operations. However, many buyers were drawn to the Mega Cruiser simply because it was the largest and most capable off-road truck ever produced by a Japanese manufacturer.

Although the Mega Cruiser was officially sold only in Japan, it can now be found in various international markets where all-terrain trucks are highly sought after. Russia, Australia, and the United States are among the most common countries where these trucks are exported. However, owning one does not come cheap. When it was first launched in 1995, the Mega Cruiser had a price tag equivalent to $233,000 in today’s money. Even today, when they occasionally appear for sale, they can still command a similar price. Production of this SUV continued until 2001, and a total of just over 100 civilian Mega Cruisers were manufactured during that time.