2012 Toyota Porte Review

The Toyota Porte is sold exclusively in the Japanese domestic market and new units are rarely available for export. The first generation Porte known as the NNP10 was in production from 2004 to 2012. The second generation known as the NSP140 and NCP141 has been in production from 2012 to Present. A more masculine variant known as the Toyota Spade was introduced to the market in 2012 and is sold in parallel to the Porte.

The 2012 Toyota Porte is offered with two engine options; the 1.3 Litre 1NR-FE and the 1.5 Litre 1NZ-FE. These are linked to a Super CVT-I transmission and available in both 2WD and 4WD. The Toyota Porte comes with I-Stop which stops the engine to conserve fuel when the car is in idling mode.

2012 Toyota Porte Grades

1. Toyota Porte V – This is a super basic and cheap grade that comes with the 1.3L, 15-Inch steel rims without covers, lightly cushioned seats, urethane steering wheel, Manual AC, manual sliding door and Radio/CD Player. It’s only available in 2WD.
2. Toyota Porte X – This is the basic grade that comes with both the 1.3L and the 1.5L engines, 15-Inch steel rims, front independent seats, urethane steering wheel, Manual AC, electric sliding door and Radio/CD Player. The 1.3L is only available in 2WD while the 1.5L is available in both 2WD and 4WD
3. Toyota Porte F – This is an intermediate grade that comes with the 1.5L engine, 15-Inch steel rims, front independent seats with armrests, urethane steering wheel, manual AC, electric sliding door and Radio/CD Player. It’s available in both 2WD and 4WD
4. Toyota Porte Y – This is an intermediate grade that comes with the 1.5L engine, 15-Inch steel rims, front bench seat with cushion tray and armrest, urethane steering wheel, manual AC, electric sliding door and Radio/CD Player. It’s available in both 2WD and 4WD
5. Toyota Porte G – This a luxury grade that comes with the 1.5L engine, 15-Inch steel rims, front bench seat with cushion tray, armrest and thermal heating, leather steering wheel, automatic AC, electric sliding door and Radio/CD Player. It’s available in both 2WD and 4WD

Interior
Legroom & Space
The Toyota Porte is a roomy car with a high roof and a flat floor. The electric sliding door serves both the front and rear passengers. The seats are comfortable and well elevated offering a natural seating posture. At the first row, both the driver and passenger are afforded with good legroom and the seats can be adjusted to a desired position. At the second row, the legroom is good with enough space to stretch for all the three seats.

Cabin Storage
The Porte has sufficient storage compartments in the cabin that are useful for storing items such as smartphones, beverages, goggles, handbags etc. At the first row there are 2 cup-holders, door panel storage and a glovebox. For the second row, there are three cupholders and several storage compartments.

2012 Toyota Porte Boot Space
The boot is not as big as we expected it to be and it can maybe carry one large suitcase with space to spare. When extra space is required, the rear seats can be folded and even this is not as snappy as we expected as the seats do not fold flat into the floor.

Other Extras: Alloy Rims,

Toyota Porte Safety Features: Driver and passenger airbags, driver and passenger side airbags, curtain airbags, ABS, EBD, VSC, TRC

Exterior
As we have said earlier, the exterior is nothing more than a boxy shape and clearly, Toyota did not give it much thought.

2012 Toyota Porte Fuel Consumption
2012 Toyota Porte 1.3L fuel consumption: 19.6 Km/L
2012 Toyota Porte 1.5L fuel consumption: 19.0 Km/L

2012 Toyota Porte Acceleration
2012 Toyota Porte 1.3L accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 13.9 sec.
2012 Toyota Porte 1.5L accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 13.4 sec.

2012 Toyota Porte Fuel Tank Capacity: 42 Litres

2012 Toyota Porte Ground Clearance
The 2012 Toyota Porte has a ground clearance of 5.9 Inches(150mm). This is below the minimum recommended clearance of 6.5 Inches for Kenyan roads. It is necessary to modify the ground clearance to adjust the car to Kenyan roads. Read our guidelines here on how to safely increase a vehicle’s ground clearance.

2012 Toyota Porte Stability and Handling
The Toyota Porte has a pliant ride that is similar to other Toyotas we’ve driven. Be cautious around corners as the Porte leans a bit too much.

Service Intervals
Minor Service: At 5,000 km. Requires Air Cleaner, Oil Filter, and Engine Oil
Major Service: At 10,000km. Requires Air Cleaner, Oil Filter, Fuel Filter, ATF Filter, Cabin Filter, Plugs, Front Brake Pads, Rear Brake Pads, ATF Oil, and Engine Oil

Spare Parts Availability, Cost & Where to buy
Spare parts for the Toyota Porte are affordable and widely available in Kenya. In Nairobi, most spare shops in Industrial Area and Kirinyaga Road stock them. You can get listings for these shops in this link

2012 Toyota Porte Reliability
The driving conditions in Kenya are significantly different from those in Japan and Europe. Reliability reviews done for those markets largely do not apply to the Kenyan market. There are differences in roads, fuel, climate, spares, and technical expertise. To give you accurate and reliable local insights, we interview experts such as mechanics and car dealers, who have in-depth knowledge of the Kenyan market. We also test the cars ourselves. Our aim is to give you the right information to enable you make an informed decision when buying a car.

The 1.3L 1NR-FE and the 1.5L 1NZ-FE engines are shared with many other such the Toyota Vitz. They are generally reliable and can clock high miles without skipping a beat. However as with any engine, they can have problems if not properly maintained as per the Owner’s Manual. Below are some of the reported issues with these engines.
1. Vibration and uneven idling – This is caused by poor maintenance
2. Overheating – Caused by faulty cooling system.
3. CVT Problems – Caused by use of bad quality ATF.

If you need the 2012 Toyota Porte Owner’s Manual, write to info@topcar.co.ke.

Resale Value: Average

Toyota Porte Competitors: Toyota Spade, Honda Freed, Nissan Cube, Mazda Scrum Peugeot Partner and VW Caddy

Cost of Ownership
Purchase Price: See Latest Toyota Porte Prices here
Comprehensive Insurance: Average Ksh. 20,000/ per annum- Or
3rd Party Insurance: Ksh. 7,000/- per annum
Change of Tyres(If necessary) Ksh. 16,000/- for 4 Tyres

What we like about the 2012 Toyota Porte
1. Excellent fuel economy
2. Utilitarian
3. Affordable to buy

What we don’t
Uninspiring exterior design

Conclusion
Much as we are not sold on its looks, we have to admit that the Toyota Porte is an incredibly practical car. It is spacious, affordable to buy, cheap to maintain and fuel efficient. It is ideal for people that value utility and not so much about looks. If you want a car for business, then the Porte is right up your alley.