Oh look, we got a chance to check out the new Toyota Vellfire, how cool is it,
or is it?
Welcome everyone, welcome to the world of augmented reality where mankind has learned to
tread the thin line between what is real and what is merely a figment of your imagination,
and believe it or not, our cars are already starting to be a part of it.
This is Simplified on PowerDrift where we try to break down complex topics that make
you scratch your hair, like the one here at hand and today, thanks to Toyota India,
we found a chance to interact with this amazing piece of technology, it works on your phone,
it works on your laptop, works from a desktop, let's get started.
It is the one of a kind Toyota virtual showroom and it is powered by augmented reality. But first
let's hang on, here's some background. It's say, another morning and you're feeling all lazy and
the world is going all crazy and you just got off a meeting in your boxers of course, because it's a
digital meeting and your onsite friend calls from the States and tells you that he just bought a new
car from the internet. And yet every time you step out to buy milk and eggs,
well your dream stares right back at you, but from the confines of a local showroom and to
prevent this very barrier, manufacturers are opening showrooms online, and the first mover
in India is none other than Toyota, one of my favourite manufacturers, one of the most respected
manufacturers in the world who might be making cars, I'll have you know, for over 100 years now.
But, they have still figured out how you and I will be buying cars in the future,
which is by using your smartphones, laptops, desktops, or iPads from wherever we are in this
big beautiful country. Welcome then, to the Toyota virtual showroom, a technological enhancement,
a future proof business solution and the best part, best part you ask, well it works on the
internet so that you can finally buy a car in your boxers again, and the whole thing is just
15 Mb so it loads faster than your social media feeds. Grab some popcorn right now,
get ready to play Jonny Quest. It is a bit like being in a game, but you're the only player in it,
your own private showroom space with nobody around you except the warm presence of graphical
elements welcoming you into the world of ToyotaBharat.com.
Anyway, so you walk in, taking the first few virtual footsteps and
when you do that, notice all the cars lined-up, all of them
right there to greet you. Now, one thing I would like to point out, by the way, is that the Toyota
virtual showroom, it looks incredibly detailed, the lighting is spot on and well, the uncluttered
interior design of this entire place, that would make any Toyota dealer proud. This frame
wouldn't look out of place in a modern game, now let's say you had been eyeing, yeah, the Toyota
Legender. If you walk closer, you'll notice that it gives you the option to open a 360 degree view
and then it does exactly what it says on the tin, a 3D model of the car opens up and what I like
here particularly is that all the cars appear in different environments pertinent to them.
So while the Legender will land in an off-road, a beautiful off-road location, the Urban Cruiser
is something that is presented against a more metropolitan backdrop.
I think I know where they got the inspiration from on this one,
it is the terrace of Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
Now by the way, you can also choose to switch to regular studio background if you want
the lighting to be perfect.
Now, these models, the models by the way, like the showroom space,
they are incredibly detailed and so are the environment. Now, it almost feels like you are
there. It is Toyota's concept of, we are where you are, the 360 degree transitions are super smooth,
and responsive even on a mediocre internet speeds is what I found out and you can spend
quite some time in there, in there. Again it feels like choosing the car in a game,
especially with these pop out menus telling you the engine specs and many other details.
But, it even gets better than this, at the click of a button, all the doors of a car will open up
at once, giving you a sneak-peek inside the car and you can also switch on the light,
including the hazard and now let's get this, there's a fricking night mode. The reflections
here almost will give you the feel of ray tracing, an effect that you only find in
high-end video games. So, a smart tip here, where to enjoy the full experience, go fullscreen.
However, for the ultimate augmented reality experience where you can have the car of
your choice, stand right in front of you, here, let me do that again.
Here's how you do it,
A) visit the virtual showroom from your phone or handheld device and choose any model. I picked
the Fortuner here because I have a soft spot for it, look out for the view in AR button,
and that shouldn't be too difficult.
Thirdly, move to an open area where you can augment the car
at least eight feet away from you,
don't try this at home unless you have a hall as big as a warehouse.
B) click on view in your space tab and watch the magic unfold.
After augmenting, you can zoom in and out, walk around the car to get a 360 degree view and
also click pics to share with your friends and if you go inside the augmented car,
you can enjoy a 360 degree view of the interiors as well.
Once you're done exploring the exteriors, it is then time to virtually step inside.
Here, you can toggle between two views, by the way, one of the front row and one from
the other, second or third row, depending on which car you're talking about.
And again, this is probably the only place from where you can check out the luxurious interiors
of the Vellfire because well you know this such a unique car in India. Now I just found out,
by the way, that the Vellfire through this, has two sunroofs, not one. Augmented reality achieves
the unthinkable, by overlaying visual, auditory or other sensory information onto the real world.
I spent more time than I thought I would exploring the cars and the environments here
and I'm also more educated now. For example, I now know that the Legender comes with a
sequential turn indicators or that the Glanza has 60-40 split rear seat because today's youth
will keep hatching new plans every weekend. Something else that really caught my attention
here in the virtual interiors is the way the airbag situation in each car is animated,
quite cinematic, I would say, you can't really see it in real life and I would say of course,
if you want the ultimate experiences, just tap the view in AR button like we
did for the exteriors and you can almost have a seat inside your favourite Toyota.
What we like about the Toyota virtual showroom is that it is something that you can enjoy on a boring
Sunday afternoon and also, while making one of the most important purchase decisions in your life.
Its slick visuals and quick interfacing makes it a truly immersive experience and also at par
with some of the virtual experiences that high-end automakers provide. Now of course, with a platform
like this, there's always the option of choosing your favourite car from wherever you are in the
world. Today, Toyota is bringing a customer first approach with its virtual showrooms,
for starters, it makes you a more informed buyer of course, well because it is only
inside a Toyota virtual showroom, that you will find all variants, all models, all its colours,
all under one roof so that you can compare all the features side-by-side in a seamless manner,
make that purchase decision. So if you think you have the information that you need about
the new Glanza that you are looking to buy this Diwali, well, you can then do it
all the information there, well then, end the virtual showroom experience as simply as you started it,
really takes nothing. Call dibs on it then by paying a nominal booking amount and then well,
congratulations because you've just bought yourself an automobile without
even stepping inside a showroom. Just in case you want to be doubly sure, of course you can
also schedule a test drive, it might not seem like it is right now, but the virtual showroom might
slowly become an indispensable marketing solution is what we feel to engage and inform customers,
that's why we have it here on Simplified, until the end, let me go and check out how
the Camry looks in automatic in some very nice environment. Hmm, I'll be back.