Toyota Australia has just lifted the covers off the
world’s first-ever convertible HiAce, which will feature a limited production
run of 2,019 units, all sold exclusively Down Under. ven though the Japanese automaker
did a good job at making the press release sound convincing, we can assure you
that this is nothing more than an April Fool’s prank, albeit one that could
make for an interesting purchase if you’re a tour guide of sorts.
So what did Toyota say with a straight face
regarding this vehicle? For starters, that the soft-top conversion would be
available across the entire HiAce van lineup, including the two-seat long
wheelbase and super-long wheelbase configurations, plus the five-seat long
wheelbase vans and 12-seat super-long wheelbase commuter buses.
Meanwhile, Toyota Australia’s head of public
affairs, Brodie Bott, described the convertible van as something that combines
the quality, durability, reliability and practicality Australians have come to
expect from the HiAce with a Z-fold roof.
Yank on the PieAce’s tailgate and out comes the
optional built-in fan-forced pie oven. There’s also a grill with four cooking
racks, that reaches a maximum temperature of 250 degrees Celsius (482 F). But how do you know when your pie
is ready to go? There’s an alarm on the dashboard indicating to the driver that
he or she may pull over and stuff their face with pie.
