Toyota Sai 2014

Despite the increasing attempts of following the trend of unifying their lineup around the world as much as possible, most big automakers create some models exclusively for some few countries, basically to achieve the best possible offer at all of them. Some examples are North-American pick-ups, South-American superminis, European sports cars and Japanese kei cars. However, the latter has a long-lasting tradition also with high-luxury sedans, such as this Toyota which every car enthusiast would love to see travelling abroad.

If you find it hard to notice, Sai’s designers will take it as a compliment: this is the Toyota version of Lexus HS, a compact sedan which integrates what turns out to be an unusually large lineup for a luxury marque: even though there aren’t many countries which offer all of them, Lexus’ sedan entry-level is formed by IS and HS, while the medium category features GS and ES, both pairs working as sporty and classy counterparts – the flagship level, in turn, is taken entirely by LS. Such upscale “genetics” is what Toyota group brought to the main marque as this big sedan only in Japan, while the equivalent spot in North-America is defended by (the also-exclusive) Avalon.

What makes the new Sai so interesting to analyze is the design department’s work. They simply forgot to follow the company’s current design language and sculpted this sedan in a whole new way. Such attitude could’ve made Toyota’s enthusiasts tremble with fear, but even the quickest glance at this article’s images are capable of taking away whatever déjà vu of Etios they’ve might had. The longer ones, in turn, don’t take long to impress with how a simple half-life facelift can make a car follow its brand’s current trends without looking like just a different scale of what’s seen on its brothers.

There are agressive, square lines all over this sedan just like the company has made with every recent Lexus and some Toyotas. But the differences start with the lights: Both front and rear sets received the same very stylish set, which are connected through the entire section by a horizontal line which seems to continue them and is interrupted only at the center, by the brand logos. Below them, the front uses two big grilles and the rear sculpts the rest of the trunk lid. The interior responds with attractive design specially at the central console, whose three-dimensional shape manages to take the controls much closer to the front occupants.

Sai’s luxury is started with the good-looking wooden accents, which can be paired to several coating options, and finishes with a typical equipment list. When it comes to the powertrain, this sedan repeats HS’ hybrid architecture (the luxury brother is sold as HS250h) and offers a four-cylinder gasoline 2.4L of 150 hp, paired to an electric engine of impressive 143 hp in order to achieve both a combined 190-hp power or a fully-electric driving mode. This car’s interior is produced with 80% of recycled materials and its fuel consumption achieves 22 kpl, through the Japanese cycle.