2012 Toyota Spade Review
The Toyota Spade is largely the same as the Toyota Porte save for minor differences in body styling. It aims to address the exterior shortcomings of the Porte which has highly been criticized. The Spade comes with sharper headlights and an angular bumper that give it a much more respectable look. It competes with the Nissan Cube, Mazda Scrum Peugeot Partner and VW Caddy.
Detailed Review
The Toyota Spade is sold exclusively in the Japanese domestic market and new units are rarely available for export. The first generation Spade known as the NSP140 and NSP141 entered production in 2012. It’s sold alongside the Porte and targets a more youthful clientele.
The 2012 Toyota Spade 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 Spade comes with I-Stop which stops the engine to conserve fuel when the car is in idling mode. For a more detailed analysis of these engines, refer to the Toyota Spade Buyer’s Guide, where we cover reliability, power and efficiency.
2012 Toyota Spade Grades
- Toyota Spade 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.
- Toyota Spade 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
- Toyota Spade 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
- Toyota Spade 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
- Toyota Spade 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 Spade 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 Spade 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 Spade Safety Features: Driver and passenger airbags, driver and passenger side airbags, curtain airbags, ABS, EBD, VSC, TRC
Exterior
Though Toyota Spade has greatly improved on the exterior in comparison to the Porte, it is still considerably boxy
2012 Toyota Spade Fuel Consumption
2012 Toyota Spade 1.3L fuel consumption: 19.6 Km/L
2012 Toyota Spade 1.5L fuel consumption: 16.0 Km/L
2012 Toyota Spade Acceleration
2012 Toyota Spade 1.3L accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 13.9 sec.
2012 Toyota Spade 1.5L accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 13.4 sec.
2012 Toyota Spade Fuel Tank Capacity: 42 Litres
2012 Toyota Spade Ground Clearance
The 2012 Toyota Spade 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 Spade Stability and Handling
The Toyota Spade 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 Spade 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 here follow this link
2012 Toyota Spade Reliability
For a detailed reliability analysis of the Toyota Spade where we interview current owners, mechanics and car dealers, refer to the Toyota Spade Buyer’s Guide here.
Resale Value: Average
Toyota Spade Competitors: Nissan Cube, Mazda Scrum Peugeot Partner and VW Caddy
Cost of Ownership
Purchase Price: See Latest Toyota Spade Prices here
What we like about the 2012 Toyota Spade
1. Excellent fuel economy
2. Utilitarian vehicle
3. Affordable to buy
Conclusion
The Toyota Spade 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 economy.
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