Toyota Coaster belts up

TOYOTA’S long-serving Coaster has undergone a safety upgrade with three-point seatbelts for all 20 passengers and a reversing camera now fitted as standard across the three-variant range.

The safer three-point versions replace the two-point lap belts fitted to the outgoing Coaster as part of a safety kit upgrade for 2015, which kicks off priced from $114,400 before on road costs.

All Coasters will also now come fitted with an electronic speed limiter set at 100km/h, to comply with government regulations and are equipped with four emergency exits.

The upgrades – which also include a 6.1-inch colour screen-based infotainment and satellite navigation system – come at a price with the Coaster range rising by $2000 across the board.

Toyota Australia’s executive director of sales and marketing Tony Cramb said the latest upgrades have improved both active and passive safety, as well as the vehicle’s functionality.

"The reversing camera, satnav, touch-screen audio and voice-control functions will be welcomed by anyone who operates a Coaster, be it a professional tour driver or a volunteer from the local services club," he said.

Powered by a Hino 4.0-litre 110kW and 379Nm six-cylinder common-rail turbo-diesel engine, the Coaster comes in three variants the Standard is equipped with vinyl seats, air-conditioning, power steering, a reclining driver’s seat a folding centre passenger door and a five-speed manual gearbox.

The mid-range Deluxe comes with a powered ‘gliding’ centre door, cloth trim, powered door locks and an additional window above the driver’s door, while the top of the range Deluxe shares the same equipment but adds an automatic transmission.

Toyota sold 228 Coasters in 2014, 20.7 per cent fewer than in 2013. It is beaten in the sales race by Mitsubishi’s Rosa bus, which recorded 357 sales for 2014.

Toyota Coaster pricing*

Standard	$114,400
Deluxe	$118,400
Deluxe (a)	$125,400

*Excludes on-road costs.