ONCE every year, we all get to give money away to random short people, and schlep from place to place all day for the privilege. How delightful. Toyota may not be able to help much with that first pleasure, but the Vellfire is perfect for the second, especially if you can convince someone else to take the driver’s seat.

At first glance, the Vellfire is a cupboard on wheels, but look deeper – or better yet, climb in – and you’ll see it’s a big, uniquely Japanese take on overland luxury travel.

Yes, I did say luxury.

You might think it lunacy to consider a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) with three rows of seats a better way to get around than, say, the back of something German or British. But once you’ve ensconced yourself in the Toyota’s soothing stateroom of a cabin, you’ll make excuses to linger inside while everyone else gets on with the Chinese New Year visiting.

There’s a little step to make hopping on or off the Vellfire easier, and the automatic sliding doors made me stop and wonder why everyone goes crazy for the new BMW 7 Series’ self-closing doors when MPVs have effectively had the same feature for years.

But let’s dispense with the boring stuff first. As you’d expect of something this size, there’s room enough for seven on board. Naturally, the worst seats are in the third row, where there’s a bench for three. Yet, it’s hardly cramped back there. The Vellfire’s vertical sides give it a lofty ceiling, with room for adults to hold their heads high even in the cheap seats.

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The middle row is where the prime real estate is, with two armchairs fit for monarchy. They’re not quite the fold-flat seats you get on a plane, but come with pop-up footrests that bear your calves, and they recline far enough for some hardcore napping.

That’s just for starters. You can call up a massage with the little touchscreen handset that comes with each chair. There’s built-in ventilation to vacuum sweat from your back, too, though the Vellfire’s air-conditioning is more powerful and windy than a banana republic’s dictator.

Lots of MPVs have similar “captain’s chairs”, as they’re called, but there’s a solidity and heft to those in the Vellfire. They feel like they were built for sumo wrestlers, and the rigidity of the car itself means the seats don’t vibrate or jiggle much when you’re on the move.

In fact, there’s a wafting quality to the way the Vellfire gets around. The suspension is soft without being floaty, and the engine only pipes up when you really nail the accelerator. Most times it emits a distant purr, and sometimes it makes no noise at all.

That’s because the Vellfire’s hybrid powertrain pairs its 2.5-litre petrol four-cylinder with an electric motor that can haul it along on its own. It’s not a fire-breathing setup, but the jolly giant does have enough pep to drag on to highway speeds pretty smartly.

More to the point, Toyota’s been at this hybrid stuff for nearly 27 years now, well enough to establish that the tech is as reliable and fuel-saving as it’s purported to be.

What’s more surprising is that the Vellfire doesn’t feel like a bus to drive. You’re always aware that you’re piloting a big beastie, but it’s easy to handle in cramped spots, especially when you switch the 360-degree cameras on. It actually has a tighter turning circle than, say, a Tesla Model Y, so it’s not a nightmare to hook around a U-turn.

It’s nearly as comfy for the driver as it is for the boss in the back, too. Up in front, there’s the same sense of solid construction, and so much leather covers everything that it looks like every Vellfire spells doom for half a herd of cattle. Adding to the sense of plushness is the fact that the 14-inch touchscreen has the same interface as the latest Lexuses, along with a dashboard design that’s multi-layered and cockpit-like.

That’s just as well, because the Vellfire costs a pretty packet to buy – nearly 400 big ones, at current Certificate of Entitlement prices. Incidentally, Toyota also offers the Alphard, an all but identical car, only it has a grille like a Cadbury bar to project a sense of grandeur. The Vellfire, whose name is a portmanteau of “velvet” and “fire”, is meant to look sportier.

If you can stomach parting with half a million, there’s also a Lexus version called the LM, but the Vellfire (and Alphard) are easily just as comfy. In all three, riding in the middle-row seats is an experience that feels solidly above middle class.

Toyota Vellfire Hybrid Engine 2,487 cc, inline 4 Electric motor 180 hp, 270 Nm System power 247 hp Gearbox Continuously variable transmission Battery Nickel metal hydride 0-100 kmh 9.4 seconds Top speed 180 kmh (limited) Fuel efficiency 5.6 L/100 km Agent Borneo Motors Price S$387,388 with COE Available Now