Toyota Aqua owners prove car meets do not need big engines
Organized by Toyota Aqua Club Bangladesh, the event brought together a rather impressive number of Toyota Aquas- a model which became an instant hit in Bangladesh ever since the vehicle was introduced by Toyota globally in 2012
Car meets are typically where you go to find big engines, loud exhausts and machinery modified beyond reason. So, an owners' gathering of one of the most fuel-efficient hybrid hatchbacks in Bangladesh seems rather unlikely. Toyota Aqua Club Bangladesh, however, has been quietly proving otherwise.
Organised by Toyota Aqua Club Bangladesh, the event was held at Sunvalley Grand Circle in Sunvalley Abashon in the capital last Friday, in partnership with Automo Japan, Wash & Works, Liqui Moly and BYD Bangladesh, with Swadesh Properties Ltd. providing the venue. The gathering brought together a rather impressive number of Toyota Aquas, a model that has become a familiar sight on Bangladeshi roads over the years.
Toyota originally launched the Aqua in Japan in December 2011 as a compact hybrid positioned below the Prius. In markets outside Japan, the first-generation model was sold as the Prius c from 2012. Powered by a compact 1.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid system, its combination of strong fuel economy, manageable dimensions and Toyota reliability eventually made the Aqua particularly popular in markets such as Bangladesh through reconditioned Japanese imports.
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The formation of the club dates back five years to an earlier meeting at Chef's Table Courtside, where more than 20 Toyota Aquas turned up. That was, in fact, one of the earliest features covered by Wheels. It was not so much a show-off meet as an opportunity to meet fellow owners and exchange experiences, advice and problems related to running the same car, as hybrids were still a relatively new part of the mass market back then.
This time, 65 cars had been registered before the event, but that number did not remain useful for long. More Aquas continued arriving throughout the event, with the organisers estimating another 20 or so cars joined later. That put the final turnout somewhere around 80 to 90 cars, which is already quite a gathering for a hatchback designed primarily to save fuel and get you to work.
The cars were suitably varied, too. There were different colours, trim levels and degrees of modification, ranging from examples kept close to factory specification to others given considerably more petrolhead flair. One in particular stood out: a white Aqua G's fitted with an air-suspension system, proving that extreme fuel efficiency and equally extreme modifications can indeed coexist.
But for the most part, it was more about the people than the cars. Owners greeted one another, exchanged car talk, took photos and generally spent time with people who already understood what prompted them to buy an Aqua in the first place. The result felt more like a community gathering than a conventional car show, built around a collection of people who had made very similar choices when it came to transport.
Some newer electrified machinery was present as well. BYD Bangladesh showcased several of its electric and plug-in hybrid models alongside Toyota's well-established hybrid technology. The company brought the Seal 5, Atto 3 and Sealion 6 to the event, with test drives also available for visitors.
There was also a raffle draw and other activities for owners and visitors because, apparently, a gathering of economical hybrid hatchbacks still needs something to do between photos.
The interesting thing about the Aqua is that it was never really supposed to become a cult car. It was built around efficiency and functionality and, more than anything else, to cover long distances without demanding too much from its owner. In Bangladesh, however, it has managed to gain something more interesting: a community.
The club's latest gathering showed just how far that community has grown. Dozens of owners turned up with cars that, on paper, have very little business being at the centre of a car meet.
And yet, there they were, filling a venue with Aquas and proving that you do not necessarily need a big engine, a turbocharger or an exhaust loud enough to frighten the neighbours to have a proper car meet.
