The Toyota Alphard (Japanese: トヨタ アルファード Toyota Arufādo) is a full-size luxury Van produced by the Japanese automaker Toyota since 2002. It is available as a seven- or eight-seater with a 2.4 and 3.5 litre gasoline engine in 3 different model lines - Alphard G, Alphard V, and the Alphard Hybrid, which uses the 2.4 litre engine along with an electrical motor and batteries. The vehicle was named after Alphard, the brightest star in the constellation Hydra. The Alphard is primarily made for the Japanese market, but is also sold in Bahrain, Belarus, Hong Kong, Oman, Russia,[2] Macau, Sri Lanka, Greater China, and Southeast Asia. In 2006, a Royal Lounge Alphard was introduced. It is a luxurious, four-seat version of the Alphard and exclusive to "Toyopet Store" Japanese dealerships. Its traditional competitor from Nissan is the Elgrand. Toyota also makes a sportier version of the Alphard, called the Vellfire (Japanese: トヨタ ヴェルファイア Toyota Verufaia) which is exclusive to "NETZ Store" Japanese dealerships.