The Toyota Ractis Welcab
The Toyota Welcabs, namely the Ractis and the Noah, sport comparable measurements. The 1.5 litre Ractis has an entrance height of 1.25m and an interior height of 1.29m while the larger capacity, 2.0 litre Noah has maximum accessibility of 1.32m and 1.31m, respectively.
Interior cabin, grab handles and wheelchair storage in the Renault Kangoo WAV
Careful thought has been put into the design of the Kangoo WAV to enable the wheelchair user enjoy as smooth and safe a ride as possible. Access to the car cabin is at the rear via an automatic air-suspension ramp. There are grab handles on the sides for the wheelchair user to hold on to. To prevent the wheelchair from sliding, it is securely anchored to the base to ensure safety; and there is even floor lighting for enhanced visibility. A 3-point shoulder belt is fastened around the wheelchair commuter to maintain equilibrium and prevent the person from falling over when the car is manoeuvring corners or bumpy stretches.
The Renault Kangoo WAV - securing the wheelchair at the base
This is certainly a far more pleasant experience to that of riding a London cab, where the wheelchair tends to slide when the car turns sharp corners and the person seated on the wheelchair has to hang on tight to another seat so as not to lose balance. When riding the Kangoo WAV, it is recommended that someone assists the wheelchair user to lower the ramp and to help him/her move in and out of the vehicle, rather than have the wheelchair commuter operate the remote control that lowers the ramp and locks and unlocks the retractors that secure the wheelchair in the car. It is thus obvious that the Kangoo WAV, as well as the Toyota Welcabs, is meant to be driven by the caregiver rather than the disabled driver. In Singapore, licensed disabled drivers are entitled to COE waivers when they purchase modified hand-control cars; however, there is no such subsidy for these wheelchair accessible vehicles. These cars are meant for the caregiver who needs to drive someone in a wheelchair around and therefore the cars seat four to five other passengers comfortably in addition to the wheelchair commuter. They operate as MPVs that can be used to accommodate passengers as well as goods. When required, the ramp can be folded down to push up trolleys. The Kangoo WAV for instance, measures 4.21m in length by 1.83m wide by 1.81 to 1.84m high, resulting in a possible loading capacity of 3000L and a maximum load length of 1.73m. The 1.6 litre, 5-seater (inclusive of wheelchair passenger) Renault Kangoo WAV costs $145,888 with COE ($88,888 without COE), while the 1.5 litre, 4-seater Toyota Ractis costs $78,000 (without COE) and the 2.0 litre, 6-seater Toyota Noah costs S$116,800.00. The Renault Kangoo WAV is marketed by Wearnes Automotive Pte Ltd as a passenger vehicle. Both Toyota Welcabs can be purchased from Ricardo Auto Centre, a Toyota parallel importer. |
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