With three body lengths and two different wheelbases, the beefy Toyota Proace is versatile. He appears either robust as a barren van or elegant as a luxury van.
Toyota has renewed the Proace and thereby expanded the series. The offer now ranges from the van with simple equipment to the noble large-capacity sedan. Brand new is a compact version with only 4,60 meters total length, which is in addition to the two versions with 4,96 and 5,30 meters in length in the program. Whether panel van, station wagon or bus - the typical Toyota family face show all Proace variants.
"So far, we lacked a bus and a station wagon," admits Bart Eelen, responsible for product communication at Toyota. The shortcoming is resolved. Nevertheless, the predecessor in the medium duty vans market had performed well. With the new, brawny appearance the chances for a market success are even better.
Volkswagen's Bulli is just one competitor that Toyota wants to face thanks to its expanded variety. The Japanese is related to the Traveler and SpaceTourer models from Peugeot and Citroen. During a first test drive as part of the product presentation in Warsaw, Poland, the newcomer could now be felt on the tooth. It started with the Proace as a transporter with an 85 kW / 115 PS 1,6 liter diesel engine. 70 kW / 95 PS are also available with the same displacement, the two-liter engine has 90 kW / 122 PS, 10 kW / 150 PS or even 130 kW / 177 PS.
As expected, the functionality is high. The orientation in the cockpit succeeds right away and does not solve any puzzles. The steering wheel is despite adjustment somewhat flat, but the lever is well at hand, the instruments are clearly drawn. Depending on the engine, there are five manually shiftable gears, six automatic, six manual or one six-speed automatic. The latter is only available in combination with the strongest engine.
With the 115 hp, the (empty) Proace cheerfully sets off after overcoming the starting weakness. The drive works softly and acoustically reserved. At just 1750 rpm, the maximum torque of 300 Nm is already available. So it can be driven economically. The standard consumption is given as 5,1 to 5,2 l / 100 km. At 160 km / h the top speed is already reached. With a width of 1,92 meters (with mirrors: 2,20 m) and a height of 1,89 to 1,905 meters, it is narrow in construction sites, but - well done - it is enough for underground garages.
The rearward view restricts the dividing wall, to the front it is the wide A-pillars. But there are beeper. They are a bit too nervous and start when the backseat gets a little tighter at the traffic light. With 12,4 meters turning circle between the curbs, the medium and long version remain sufficiently manageable, the compact manages the turning circle with only 11,3 meters in a smaller space.
Speaking of space: the short version offers more than two meters of load space length, over 1,6 meters in width (1,25 between the wheel arches) and over 1,8 meters in height. So he easily puts away two euro pallets. The long version also fits three pallets over 2,8 meters of loading space. And for friends of the folding rule: the loading sill height is just under 55 centimeters (long version: 60 cm). The cargo space volume is 4,6 to 6,6 cubic meters with a payload of 1000 to 1360 kilograms. If that's not enough: 1,8 to 2,5 tonnes can be pulled on the hook.
If we swap the comfortable driver's seats next to the two front passenger seats of the Proace Transporter for the seats in the more comfortable Proace Verso, there are optionally different seating concepts in the rear. In addition to the driver, there are up to eight seats in the “Family” version or seven in the Executive. Depending on the design, they are foldable, foldable, slidable, foldable or even rotatable.
The two-liter with 150 PS is sufficient for 170 km / h top speed and shortens the acceleration to 100 km / h compared to the 115 PS engine by a good two seconds. Since the highway maximum speed is reached after eleven seconds. Consumption is still around five liters (5,3 - 5,5 l / 100km). The verso offers optically and technically more, there are, for example, chrome-rimmed instruments and nice trims but also a head-up display and some amenity more.
With the Proace Verso, too, five diesel engine drive variants are available for the “Shuttle”, “Family” and “VIP / Executive” equipment versions. They are available as “compact”, “medium” and “long” with numerous convenient equipment details such as a rear window that can be opened separately, sliding doors that can be opened electrically with a foot movement or a large panoramic glass roof over the rear. Not everything is available for every version, the offer is nested and requires careful selection. The “Familiy” version, for example, offers neat chrome applications, fog lights and much more - such as individual seats for the driver and front passenger, Isofix on the six rear seats and practical folding tables.
Everything is very nice, but seriously: What about security? The Proace Verso received five stars in the Euro NCAP crash test. So far so good. There's more: The Toyota Safety Sense System, an optional package, helps. Radar and camera technology can identify critical driving situations early on. There is a collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping, speed and blind spot assistance. Adaptive headlights including high-beam assistant round off the matter.
From the 17. September, just before the start of the commercial vehicle IAA in Hanover, the sale starts. The entry costs at the transporter net starting from 20 900 euro - the value added tax can be set off here yes. The Proace Verso is available from 35 300 Euro. Only from November is then the long version to order. Here, 52 000 Euro can be on the bill, which does not seem too much thanks to features, warranty promise and quality impression. In the class of medium duty vans it is an attractive alternative to Vito, Bulli and Transit.
