Toyota NOAH

The Toyota Noah is an eight-seater MPV with two rear sliding doors built by Toyota Motor Company and sold only in Asia. A five-seater version without the third seat row is available (YY grade). Its predecessor was the Toyota Liteace Noah. The Noah has a twin version named Toyota Voxy, with lower ground clearance.


The Noah's 154 hp engine takes 9.8 seconds to reach 100 km/h (60 mph) up to a top speed of 175 km/h. The Noah was the first Toyota car to be equipped with its next generation technology called valvematic in 2007. Compared to Toyota’s previous topline 2-liter 4-cylinder, the 3ZR-FAE with Valvematic is more powerful by eleven horses.

While conventional engines control air intake using a throttle valve, Valvematic adjusts the volume of air taken in by continuously controlling the intake valve lift volume and timing of valve opening and closing. This ensures optimal performance based on the engine’s operational condition, thus helping vehicles achieve both high fuel efficiency and dynamic performance.



Toyota dubbed the technology a “further evolution of the gasoline engine”. Valvematic, it said, improves fuel efficiency by 5-10 percent, reduces CO2 emissions and boosts output by at least 10 percent.

Technically speaking, the official output numbers for the first Valvematic engine, the 3ZR-FAE 2.0 litre put out 158 PS at 6200rpm, 196Nm at 4,400rpm, and goes 14.2km per litre of fuel used. A non-Valvematic engine 3ZR-FE outputting 143 PS at 5,600rpm and 194Nm of torque at 3,900rpm and went 13.4km per litre of fuel.

The CO2 emissions for the Valvematic engine was also lower at 164k/gm compared to the 173g/km figure of the non-Valvematic engine.

The Noah is positioned as a C-segment MPV similar to the Toyota Wish, and has since 2001 been competing with the Honda StepWGN and the Nissan Serena in the family car category.

Some think it is nothing to look at beauty-wise. And for most city dwellers it’s a total nightmare when parking space is a premium. But ask any owner of the Toyota Noah and you will get an endless list of attributes that excite about this eight-seater Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV)/ mini-van.

Most buyers love it for its spaciousness, easy handling, and cool interior, ample baggage and storage spaces. It can seat eight people comfortably even for long hauls. For most however, the appeal is in the power and fuel economy.