Toyota Tamaraw shows its versatility
MOBILE food businesses can serve customers from the Toyota Tamaraw Food Truck, one of the commercial conversions presented at the Philippine International Truck Show.
Photographs courtesy of Toyota
Toyota Motor Philippines gave the Tamaraw several different jobs at the inaugural Philippine International Truck Show (PITS), which ran from 22 to 24 October at the SMX Convention Center Manila in Pasay City.
The exhibit featured the public debut of the next-generation Tamaraw Modern Public Utility Vehicle (MPUV), alongside conversions for food businesses, refrigerated deliveries and emergency response.
Toyota highlighted the Tamaraw MPUV as another locally manufactured option developed for public transport operators.
The project dates back to 2023, when Toyota Motor Corporation chairman Akio Toyoda unveiled the first Tamaraw public utility vehicle prototype. Three years later, the new MPUV is preparing to enter service.
REFRIGERATED deliveries are among the uses for the Toyota Tamaraw Freezer Van, which features an insulated cargo box and temperature control system.
Toyota manufactures the vehicle at its Santa Rosa plant in Laguna. The project involved cooperation with government partners, transport groups and vehicle body builders to develop a public utility vehicle suited to local requirements.
Toyota also sees the MPUV as a possible national car because of its local production and intended role in public transportation. Its manufacture could provide further opportunities for local suppliers and workers.
Aside from passenger transport, the Tamaraw also showed how the same vehicle platform could serve businesses with different requirements.
One example was the Tamaraw Food Truck, which featured a customized body for mobile food service. The conversion allows food operators to bring their products to customers without the need for a permanent stall at every location.
Another was the Tamaraw Freezer Van, which was developed for businesses that transport products at controlled temperatures.
According to Toyota's specifications, the freezer van has a refrigerated cargo box measuring approximately 8.5 feet long, 5.5 feet wide and 5.5 feet high. Its temperature control system has a specified range of 20 degrees Celsius to minus 25 degrees Celsius.
The conversion includes insulated cargo walls, an in-cab temperature control panel, a reverse camera and safety equipment. These features make it suitable for businesses that handle frozen food and other temperature-sensitive goods.
The freezer van uses Toyota's 2.4-liter 2GD-FTV diesel engine, which produces 150 PS and 343 Nm of torque. It comes with a five-speed manual transmission.
Toyota's specifications also list a 3,085-mm wheelbase and a gross vehicle weight of 2,790 kilograms for the Tamaraw-based commercial conversions.
A more unusual application came in the form of the Tamaraw Mini Fire Truck.
Developed by Toyota Mobility Solutions Philippines, the prototype was converted into a quick-response vehicle for fire-related emergencies. Its compact body provides another possible option for emergency services that need smaller response vehicles.
The various conversions gave visitors a better look at how the locally manufactured Tamaraw could serve different sectors. Toyota presented the vehicle as a common platform that body builders could modify according to the needs of operators.