Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) is launching a new app-based, on-demand, shared transportation service in partnership with Santa Rosa City, Laguna, and Pasay City. The best part is, that this is free to use.
The upcoming free ride service for Pasay and Santa Rosa will be using five Lite Ace units
Known as the Toyota Community Shuttle (TCS), it will use five brand-new Toyota Lite Ace units equipped with air-conditioning. These will ply flexible routes within the said cities’ boundaries starting December 1, 2023 in Santa Rosa, and December 2, 2023 in Pasay City.
Those who want to experience TCS when it becomes available must download the “myToyota Shuttle PH” application – the brainchild of TMP’s Toyota Mobility Solutions Philippines, Inc. (TMSPH) division. This app allows commuters to book rides, monitor a service vehicle’s location, and check for the vehicle’s arrival times.
Why these two cities? Well, according to TMP, Santa Rosa has been identified as a “Next Wave City” with the potential to become a “High-level Smart City.” Pasay City meanwhile, has initiatives that will eventually transform it into a “Sustainable Eco City.”
To further explain, both cities have been working on several digitalization initiatives and other innovative solutions to improve the lives of their citizens. One element their governments focus on is transportation, which aligns with TMP’s vision of making easier, smarter, and safer mobility more accessible for more people.
TMP President Atsuhiro Okamoto and Santa Rosa City Mayor Arlene Arcillas
“We want to create positive social value in our beneficiary communities through the provision of free mobility. But the TCS is not only helpful in creating a hassle-free ride experience for commuters. It also complements the current efforts of our project beneficiaries towards becoming a smart city and “sustainable eco-city’ through increased connectivity and mobility, among others,” explained TMP President Atsuhiro Okamoto.
Of note, the launch of the TCS coincides with TMP’s 35th anniversary. And what better way to celebrate such a momentous occasion than rolling out corporate social responsibility programs like this which may be helpful in improving the quality of life in local communities.
For more car news and automotive industry updates, keep it here on Philkotse.
Know more about Toyota Lite Ace 2024
The Toyota Lite Ace is a light commercial vehicle. It was introduced to the local market by Toyota Motor Philippines on July 15, 2022, and it comes in August with different variants.
Powering the Toyota Lite Ace is a 1.5-liter inline-4 gasoline engine. At maximum, it can make up to 94 horsepower and 134 Nm of torque.
Size-wise, the Panel Van is 4,045mm long, 1,665mm wide, and 1,930mm in height. The Pickup truck variant meanwhile, is 4,195mm long, 1,675 wide, and 1,920mm tall. The FX utility, then has a length of 4,300mm, a width of 1,675mm, and a height of 2,015. The largest Lite Ace variant is the Cargo utility van, which spans 4,370mm long, 1,675mm wide, and 2,165mm in height.
Locally, the 2023 Toyota Lite Ace competes against the likes of the Suzuki Carry, Mitsubishi L300, Kia K2500, and Isuzu Travis, among others.
>>> New and used Toyota Lite Ace 2025 for sale in the Philippines
Toyota Lite Ace Launch
Initially, the Lite Ace name was released globally way back in 1970. It then enjoyed a great deal of popularity as a simple but capable people carrier in the Philippines from the 1980s to the 1990s.
More recently in July 2022, TMP revived the famed name as a light commercial vehicle. It comes in four forms: a panel van, a pickup truck, an aluminum cargo van, and an FX utility van.
Toyota Lite Ace Exterior
On the outside, the Philippine-spec Lite Ace assumes a simple box-like design equipped with 14-inch steel wheels, halogen headlamps, and halogen taillights. Its front end looks similar to the original Lite Ace as it also comes with a slanting wedge shape.
The pickup truck in particular features a flat bed with dropside capability. The panel van meanwhile has power side and rear doors.
Toyota Lite Ace Interior
As a simple logistics-focused ride, the Lite Ace gets a simple front cabin. Its dash is mostly made of durable plastic, though it has some niceties like cupholders and ample elbowroom. It also has manual air-conditioning, as well as manually adjustable PVC-clad seats.
Technology & Safety Features
For safety, the Lite Ace comes standard with dual front airbags and antilock braking. Both trims also come with seat belts and a steering lock. Only the panel van though, gets stability control.
Toyota Lite Ace Chassis
The all-new Lite Ace falls under the S-series of models just like the Japanese-spec S400 series Lite Ace and Town Ace. Like the model sold in other markets, it also assumes a semi-cab-over-engine body.
For suspensions, the Panel van gets a Macpherson strut for the front, and a five-link type for the rear. The pickup truck version meanwhile, uses leaf springs for the rear.
Toyota Lite Ace Engine
Powering the 2023 Toyota Lite Ace is a 1.5-liter inline-4 engine. This is the same 2NR-VE that the Avanza and Veloz use, though it was detuned to produce up to 94 horsepower and 134 Nm of torque.
All trims of the new Lite Ace are rear-wheel-drive, and they all use a five-speed manual gearbox.
For the Philippine market, the Toyota Lite Ace’s sole color option is White 2.
The Toyota Lite Ace’s features are largely on-par with other similarly sized light commercial vehicles in the market. It also sits in the middle of the pack in terms of power output, with some models being able to trump it solely because they are diesel-powered and have more torque. Hopefully, Toyota PH can also release more variants for the Lite Ace as it only has two currently.
Toyota Lite Ace 2025 Price List
| Variants | Price |
|---|---|
| Toyota Lite Ace 1.5 Panel Van MT | ₱695,000 |
| Toyota Lite Ace 1.5 Cargo Aluminum Van MT | ₱699,000 |
| Toyota Lite Ace 1.5 FX Utility Van MT | ₱747,000 |
| Toyota Lite Ace 1.5 Patrol Vehicle | ₱820,000 |
| Toyota Lite Ace 1.5 Patient Transport Vehicle | ₱945,000 |
| Toyota Lite Ace MPUV Class 1 | ₱998,000 |
Toyota Lite Ace Pros & Cons
Pros
- Affordable
- Looks robust
- Ample features
- Decent engine output
Cons
- Only two variants at launch
₱ 645,000 - ₱ 737,000
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