It was a model between a sedan and a station wagon

The Toyota Mark X ZiO was introduced in 2007 as a derivative of the Mark X. Although the car was named “Mark X”, it was a FF model that used the new MC platform. It should also be noted that the 2.4-liter straight-four and 3.5-liter V6 engines were available.

The third-row seat was only for emergencies

Unfortunately, Toyota’s Mark X middle-class sedan disappeared in 2020, partly due to shrinking demand for sedans. The Mark II had a 51-year history if one counts the Mark II era, but the Mark II had a long line-up of station wagon models in addition to the four-door model. In September 2007, the Mark X ZiO station wagon model was launched under the Mark X name.

This model, which could be called a production version of the FSC (Flexible Saloon Concept) exhibited at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show, was considered to be a model positioned between a sedan, station wagon, and minivan and, because it bore the Mark X name, it also had a sense of luxury. It was also a model that combined luxury with the Mark X name.

Although a three-row seater, the main focus was on the six-seat model with independent captain’s seats in the second row (a seven-seat model with bench seats in the second row was also available), as indicated by its “4+Free” concept. The third-row seats were mainly designed to be used as emergency seats, and were usually stored in the trunk space, and there was even a splendid tonneau cover to cover the stored third-row seats.

As can be seen from the short bonnet, the Mark X ZiO had no direct mechanical similarities with the Mark X sedan, and while the Mark X had a longitudinal engine FR layout, the ZiO had a transverse engine FF layout. The engines installed were also completely different, being an in-line four-cylinder 2.4L engine and a V6 3.5L engine.

The 3.5-liter 2GR-FE engine had a maximum output of 280 hp, which was more powerful than the 256 hp 3-litre Mark X. Combined with the 6-speed AT transmission, it was regarded as a hidden agile model.

However, although it had a Mark X-style front mask, its FF layout meant that it was far from a stylish sedan, it had a chunky style, it was half-hearted in terms of character, and in 2011, a hybrid model with a very similar character, the Prius, was launched. The Prius α, a hybrid model with a very similar character, was launched in 2011, and sales were discontinued at the end of 2013.

At the time, the Mark X was in its second generation of models, but no successor to the station wagon model was ever introduced, and the Mark X ZiO eventually disappeared after only one generation.

translated by DeepL