The Toyota Quantum is the name South Africa uses for the Toyota HiAce, Toyota’s long-running light commercial van and minibus. The HiAce has been in production since October 1967 and has been built as a van, minibus, panel van, crew van, pickup and ambulance. For 2019 the name matters: Toyota South Africa launched an all-new Quantum in May 2019 based on the sixth-generation HiAce, while the outgoing 16-seater Quantum Ses’fikile remained in production alongside it.
What changed for 2019
The sixth-generation HiAce was unveiled on 18 February 2019 in the Philippines, the first version of the new van designed for markets outside Japan. It moved to a semi-bonnet layout, with the engine ahead of the driver rather than under the seats, and introduced new engines, longer wheelbases and a longer standard equipment list. Toyota South Africa announced its version, badged Quantum, in May 2019. The new range covered an 11-seater long-wheelbase GL bus, a 14-seater super-long-wheelbase GL bus, three-seat panel vans in both wheelbases, and a six-seat crew cab. After its Philippine debut the new HiAce was introduced progressively to other markets through 2019 and 2020.
Engines
The 2019 Quantum replaced the old 2.7-liter gasoline and 2.5 D-4D diesel engines with a 2.8-liter four-cylinder turbo diesel. Vans and the 11-seater bus produced 130 kW and 420 Nm; the heavier 14-seater bus was rated at 115 kW and 420 Nm. All versions used a six-speed manual transmission. The engine was the 2.8 GD unit already used in the Toyota Hilux and Fortuner.
| 2019 Toyota Quantum | Specification |
|---|---|
| Body styles | 11- and 14-seat buses; 3-seat panel van; 6-seat crew cab |
| Engine | 2.8 L four-cylinder turbo diesel |
| Power | 130 kW (11-seat bus, vans); 115 kW (14-seat bus) |
| Torque | 420 Nm |
| Transmission | 6-speed manual |
| Safety | ABS, EBD, VSC, hill-assist control, trailer sway control |
Toyota widened the sliding door by 70 mm on the new Quantum, which made boarding easier and allowed Euro-sized pallets to be loaded into panel vans. The company also fitted a higher-output air conditioner that supplies cool air to rear passengers, and added chrome trim, LED daytime running lights, fog lights and color-coded bumpers to the GL bus. Standard safety equipment included anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, vehicle stability control, hill-assist control and trailer sway control. The van has been a fixture of South African minibus transport for decades; the taxi variant of the Quantum first appeared in 2007.
The old Quantum Ses’fikile stayed on sale
The previous-generation quantum Ses’fikile — the 16-seater minibus that dominates South African commuter transport — was still built after the new model arrived. It used the older H200-based design with a 2.7-liter gasoline or 2.5-liter D-4D diesel engine. So in 2019 South African buyers could choose between the brand-new, semi-bonnet Quantum and the familiar 16-seater Ses’fikile that had been in service since the mid-2000s.
Why the Quantum name exists
Toyota frequently sells the same vehicle under different names in different regions. The HiAce is called the Quantum in South Africa and has also been sold as the RegiusAce and other names elsewhere; in Australia the same market-specific naming produced the Rukus, covered on this site as the 2019 Toyota Rukus Price and Release Date. In the South African line-up the Quantum sits alongside passenger models such as the 2019 Toyota RAV4 Redesign, Price and Release Date, though the two appeal to very different buyers.
Price and running costs
Pricing for the 2019 Quantum was announced by Toyota South Africa in May 2019 and varied by body style and seating capacity, with the buses priced above the panel vans. Dealer listings in later years showed the 16-seater Ses’fikile in the region of R580,000–R600,000. Because the Quantum is a commercial vehicle, buyers usually compare total cost of ownership rather than list price alone, and Toyota’s South African dealer network and parts supply are central to that calculation.
The outgoing engines
Alongside the new 2.8-liter diesel, the 16-seater Quantum Ses’fikile carried over older drivetrains. Its 2.7-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine produced 111 kW and 241 Nm and was paired with a five-speed manual, with fuel consumption quoted at 14.3 L/100km. A 2.5-liter D-4D turbo diesel was also offered, producing around 75 kW and 260 Nm. These outputs are noticeably lower than the 2.8-liter unit in the new 2019 model, which is one reason fleet buyers weighed the two vans differently.
A short history of the Quantum in South Africa
South Africa received the H200-based HiAce as the Toyota Quantum from 2005. The older H100-generation HiAce continued to be built locally and sold alongside the new Quantum until the end of 2007, when a taxi variant of the Quantum was introduced. That overlap between generations is a long-standing pattern in the South African market, and it repeated in 2019 when the H200-based Quantum Ses’fikile stayed in production next to the new, H300-based Quantum.
2019 Quantum at a glance
- The Quantum is South Africa’s name for the Toyota HiAce
- New sixth-generation model launched in South Africa in May 2019
- 2.8-liter turbo diesel: 130 kW/420 Nm (vans and 11-seater), 115 kW/420 Nm (14-seater)
- Six-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel drive
- Body styles: 11-seat and 14-seat buses, 3-seat panel van, 6-seat crew cab
- Previous 16-seater Ses’fikile continued in production
