They have traditionally played their cards close to their chest in the small/medium panel van market, but Toyota hopes to have the “Ace” in the pack with its latest offering.
In pick up terms, of course, it’s one of the most famous van brands in the world, with a mind boggling 18 million vehicles sold since 1968, but Toyota has traditionally found the small/medium sized LCV market a much tougher nut to crack since it came to these shores more than 45 years ago. So, as they say, if you can’t beat them then why not join them? Which is exactly what the Japanese manufacturing giant did in 2016 when it signed a deal with the European motor manufacturing Behemoth, the PSA group. The result is a stable comprising four work horses which share very similar pedigrees, namely the Peugeot Expert, Citroen Dispatch, Vauxhall Vivaro and the Toyota Proace.
Whilst all of these vans are born equal, some are, however, clearly more equal than others and Toyota has continued to pursue its own agenda when it comes to warranties and engines. There’s the potential for a market-leading ten-year warranty with every new Proace, which comprises an initial three-year cover, followed up by up to seven years of service activated warranty.
Basically, this means that for the first three years of the van’s life it can be serviced at a place of the owner’s choice. Thereafter, it will need to be serviced at an authorised Toyota workshop, in line with its service schedule. A five years free roadside assistance package is also offered and a commitment to provide a service appointment within seven days of a customer request, with labour costs reduced by 50 per cent if that is not met. For a business owner, that provides both peace of mind and attractive resale advantages.
The Proace is available in a choice of two body sizes – medium and long – although the useful Smart Cargo system combines an opening front bulkhead with a lifting passenger seat base mechanism, increasing the maximum load length to 3.67m and a total load volume to 5.8m2. It also creates extra space in the three-seater cabin if needed. With each vehicle length, left and right sliding doors are provided, along with double hinged rear doors, which open to 180 degrees to take Euro pallets comfortably. Maximum payload is up to 1,400kg and the braked trailer towing capacity is up to 2,500kg
For the UK market Toyota has opted for a selection of 1.5litre diesel engines (badged 1.5D 100 and 200 and 2.0litre units badged (2.0D 140 and 180.) All feature six speed manual transmission, apart from the 180, which uses an eight-speed automatic transmission which, on our test run, was found to be one of the smoothest in transitions we have encountered so far. The ride in and around town and on the highway was top notch and there’s plenty of poke, with 0-62 in just nine seconds, although the compromise is a reduction in actual payload to around 1,000kg. You might get around 40 miles to the gallon driven sedately, although 36 is a more achievable target with this model.
The cabin is perfectly functional, with good sized instruments, although storage space is a little limited compared to the competition, and you probably wouldn’t want to be occupying the middle seat on a long journey if your legs are a little on the long side. When not in use, a centre console can be pulled down to provide a handy base for a laptop and associated mobile office paraphernalia.
The actual driving position has also attracted some criticism in certain quarters with the steering wheel offset a little to the left and the pedals to the right. We didn’t find it too much of an inconvenience although perhaps we just have the perfect shaped body for testing this particular vehicle – namely long arms and short legs! The gear change dial on our top-of-the range automatic also takes a little getting used to partly because it is so discreet but is clearly another nod to more car-like designs now employed on the most modern LCVs.
There are three equipment grades, so you pay your money and take your choice of a variety of more sophisticated cabin treatments and safety aids, although the basic Active level is more than adequate for most short haul tradespeople.
With those impressive warranty offers, and a traditionally strong dealer network service, Toyota will be hoping that a real breakthrough in this sector of the market is finally on the cards with its latest range of Proace vans.
On the road prices, including VAT, start from around £24,000 rising to as much as £40,000 for the top of the range models.
For further information on the Toyota Proace, click here.
