The Toyota Spade is a second generation that has been in production from 2012 up until 2020. It succeeded the Toyota Raum and has been billed by many to have been replaced by the Toyota Sienta from 2018.
When it comes to practicality, the Toyota Spade is quite spacious for a small family, and some luggage space to boot. Its wide electric sliding passenger door makes it easy to pack in a good amount of cargo easily and without any help and also picking and dropping passengers.
The boxy shape of the Spade allows for a spacious interior with large sized twin headlights accentuate the sloping front profile look and make the modest front grille pop. Its high roof is quite eye-catching but doesn’t look out of place given the Spade’s smaller size.
Handling
The steering handles quite responsively on corners and overtaking maneuvers. When driving through corners, the Spade’s suspension does a decent job to some point, as the car is wont to lean over some when going through corners at speed. Apart from that, the car is steady and does absorb uneven surfaces quite well, giving a comfortable ride experience.
Interior
The Toyota Spade comes with a two-tone interior option, black and brown. It’s equipped with power windows, central locking, and comes with manually adjusted fabric seats. Push-start buttons, electric mirrors, and traction control come standard, with the left electric sliding passenger door controls.
The dashboard can be too bland for some, and minimalistic for others- either way, there is no middle ground. You either love it or hate it. It has a multi-information display and the speedometer side by side at the center position. There is some storage room, be it cup holders or general storage compartments on the sides of the dashboard and the door.
The rear space is where the Spade has won many over, with its ample legroom and headroom. There is also some good space to wiggle one’s feet just beneath the front seats, and the seats can fold in a 60-40 configuration when in need of more cargo space in the back. There is some allotted side storage compartment and cup holder, which comes in handy during long trips.
The boot however isn’t as spacious as one would hope for, which makes it a bit cramped when loading more than two suitcases in. The seats also don’t completely fold down compared to say, Honda’s magic seats, but they do the job just fine.
Safety features
The Spade is equipped with electronic brake control, multiple airbags, ABS, traction control and hill-start control system.
Fuel efficiency
The Toyota Spade comes with two petrol engine options; 1.3 and 1.5 litres, linked to a CVT transmission. It has both front wheel and four-wheel drive options, depending on your preference. In terms of mileage, expect the 1.3L to squeeze out an impressive 18-20km/L, while the 1.5L variant will do about 16-18km/L.
Cost
The Spade can cost from Kshs. 800,000 on the local market, depending on the overall condition of the car, and above the 1 million mark when importing. That being said, the car is still a good value for money, and can be used for various business activities such as delivery and transport, and still return the value.
In terms of running costs, the Spade will set you back at about at most Kshs. 10,000 when undertaking minor service, which is slated for 5,000kms. Major service intervals come at 10,000kms and cost about Kshs. 17,000 – 20,000.
| Pros | Cons |
| The left sliding passenger door makes boarding and alighting easy. | The interior is sparse and quite dated. |
| Cheap to run and maintain. | Left passenger sliding door can be expensive to repair if damaged. |
| Relatively higher driving position. | Ground clearance is not suited for off-roading. |
| Good fuel efficiency. | |
| Spacious interior. |
Overall, the Toyota Spade is a good choice for anyone in the market looking for a 5-seater minivan with ample space, and with performance that won’t burn a hole in their pocket. The Spade also has a good resale value given its credentials and is sure to be a reliable minivan with readily available spares.
