Toyota Wish

2006 Toyota Wish

2003 Toyota Wish 2.0Z

The Toyota Wish is a minivan produced by the Japanese automaker Toyota since 2003. It is avaliable as a six and seven-seater, equipped with either a 1.8 or 2.0-litre gasoline engine. It is positioned below the Ipsum and above the Spacio in Toyota's minivan range. Consequently, its main competitors are the Honda Stream and Nissan Liberty.

Apart from Japan, the Wish is also assembled in Thailand (for Thailand and Malaysia only) and Taiwan (for Taiwan only).

2003

The Wish was launched in Japan in January 2003, under a massive publicity campaign with Japanese singer Hikaru Utada. The TV commercial features her song Colors, which coincides with the launch of her new CD-single. The car was marketed under the "Wish Comes True" slogan. Codenamed ZNE10G (FF) and ZNE14G (4wd), it uses a 1.8 L 1ZZ-FE engine, producing (JIS) 132 PS and 170 N·m. It is only available with four-speed automatic. A 2.0 L version (codenamed ANE11W for the six-seater version and ANE10G for the seven-seater version) was launched in April 2003. Equipped with the 1AZ-FSE direct-injection engine, it has (JIS) 155 PS (114 kW) and 192 N·m (142 lbf·ft). Variants with the 2.0 D-4 engine are only available with a CVT gearbox.

The WISH was extremely successful in its home market, and is frequently seen on the bestseller list. It has also sparked off a rash of competitors, such as the Madza5 and Honda Stream Mk II, both of which took some ideas from the unique features of the Wish. The Toyota Wish was also launched as a locally assembled model in Thailand towards the end of 2003. The Wish in Thailand is very similar to the Japanese version, except for a few differences;

Models across the range get the 2.0Z fenders.
Standard 17 inch whgeels across the range (Same design as the one used on the 2.0Z.)
Same 2.0 1AZ-FE engine as the ASEAN Camry instead of the 1AZ-FSE.
No privacy glass (excluding the grey-import variants).
Leather upholstery as standard on the 2.0Q.

2004

The Wish was launched in Taiwan in November 2004. For this market, the car is marketed under the "No Rules!" slogan & the TVCM is shot in New York. The Taiwanese version shares the same engine as the Thailand model, which means missing out on Toyota's D-4 technology. The Taiwanese assembled version have some styling differences (Mainly a new front end, redesigned rear LED taillights + reflectors recessed into the rear bumper, body color/chrome side rubbing strips and a cleaner chrome rear plate garnish (The WISH badging is not an integral part of the garnish, unlike the JDM-spec model.).), and also has features which isn't found on the Japanese spec model, mainly sonar parking sensors, dual moonroof and leather seats (only on certain models). Another aspect unique to the Wish in Taiwan is that it can be specified with a beige interior color scheme unlike its Japanese and Thai-built counterparts.

2005

The car was a huge success in Japan, and featured in the best sellers chart regularly, no mean feat for an MPV. The Toyota Wish was updated at the end of 2005 with the introduction of a facelifted model. The original car was fundamentally well designed and that meant that few changes were necessary. Cosmetic changes to the headlights, bumpers, LED tail-lights and dashboard were made, together with revised switchgear for the climate control and automatic transmission (The 2.0Z received an extra (7th) gear.). The 2006 Wish was also the third model to be sold exclusively through Toyota's NETZ dealer network, hence the replacement of the Wish's signature "W" front emblem with a generic NETZ oval (As seen on the 2005 Vitz & IST.). Feedback on the electronic throttle system has been mixed, with claims that the original throttle system used in the 2003 car is quicker off the mark. The drivetrain and engines remained the same.

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