Toyota is extending its collaborative venture with PSA into the light commercial vehicle market. The company, whose Aygo supermini can also be found as a Citroën C1 and a Peugeot 107, is to sell a badged version of Peugeot’s Expert van called the Proace.
Proace replaces Toyota’s ageing Hiace van and will be available in short and long wheelbase models with standard and high roof options. There is a 90hp 1.6-litre diesel, or two versions of the 2.0-litre diesel, delivering 128hp and 163hp. A Crew Cab model will also be available, based on the 128hp long wheelbase van.
There is a single high specification on all models, that includes Bluetooth, manual air conditioning, heated electric door mirrors, fog lamps, twin sliding side doors, daytime running lights, driver and passenger airbags and electric windows. Toyota will also make what it calls Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) standard on all Proace models, while ESP remains an option on all but the higher-powered Expert.
‘It was a conscious decision to market a singular product grade which backs our overall strategy regarding specifications across our whole vehicle range,’ says Neil Spires, Toyota’s fleet and LCV product manager.
‘We believe that the standard specification that we offer in Proace is relevant to the requirements customers would choose in today’s market, such as Bluetooth and aircon. It provides clear and transparent pricing to potential buyers.’
Proace carries a slight premium over Expert, though if you load the Peugeot with a similar specification to the Toyota the Expert price would be higher. Peugeot has not offered Toyota its ATV Grip Control option at this point.
‘There are no plans for other vans at present outside of the Proace range, however it is fair to say that we will be having greater input with the next generation vehicle, as the deal with PSA is expected to last beyond 2020,’ says Spires.
Our test van was a 128hp long wheelbase model with the standard roof. It had a 1,212kg gross payload and 6m3 of load volume. The van came fitted with an optional full steel bulkhead (£150) but was otherwise standard, with an LCV on-the-road price of £20,379 plus the VAT.
Both 2.0-litre engines drive through a smooth six-speed manual gearbox and this provides easy, relaxed cruising and strong acceleration. The 128hp engine delivers a claimed 44.1mpg, with CO2 emissions of 168g/km.
The van has secure handling with a firm ride, particularly when unladen. It is also easy to thread through city traffic and holds its own on the open road.
Though Expert has only recently been updated, Proace is hardly cutting edge in this sector, where it competes against the likes of Ford’s Transit Custom. But with a strong specification and ownership proposition, Toyota should have little trouble meeting its initial target of just 800 vans this year, and 1,000 Proace sales in 2014.
The vans will be sold through Toyota’s 70 Business Centres, located around the country, though aftersales and service can be handled by any Toyota dealer. Proace has service intervals of 20,000 miles for 2.0-litre engines or 12,000 miles for the 1.6-litre model. The Toyota shares the same five year/100,000 mile warranty as the firm’s other LCVs, such as Hilux and Dyna.
Verdict
Proace provides Toyota with a low-cost replacement for its ageing Hiace van range. The next version, with Toyota design and engineering input, might prove more exciting.
Specification
MODEL Toyota Proace 1.2t L
BASIC PRICE £20,379
ENGINE 4-cyl/1,997cc
FUEL INJECTION Common-rail
POWER 128hp @ 3,500rpm
TORQUE 320Nm @ 2,000rpm
Weights (kg)
GVW 2,932
KERB WEIGHT 1,720
PAYLOAD 1,212
MAX TRAILER WEIGHT 2,000
Dimensions (mm)
LOAD SPACE LENGTH 2,254
LOAD SPACE WIDTH 1,602
LOAD SPACE HEIGHT 1,750
LOAD HEIGHT (unladen) 562
LOAD VOLUME 6.0m3
Cost considerations
FUEL TANK CAPACITY 80 litres
COMBINED MPG & CO2 44.1mpg /168g/km
OIL CHANGE 2 yr/20,000 miles
WARRANTY 5 yr/100,000 miles