11/09/2024 We went to The Netherlands to test the new Toyota Proace Max and its smaller siblings at an event designed to herald the firm’s new ability to sell in 100% of the light commercial vehicle market. The largest Proace ever will arrive in Ireland in time for the start of the 2025 registration period. A sister van to its Stellantis group siblings the Proace Max is made in FIAT’s factory in Italy. Toyota’s Stellantis van partnership first launched in 2016 with the standard Proace. Later, the smaller Proace City arrived and this let the firm access 70% of the van market, but a big beast was missing. The new Proace Max comes in a myriad of configurations including a three way tipper! As a panel van it will be available in three body lengths (L2, 3, 4), three roof heights (H 1, 2, 3) and two wheelbase lengths.
Three diesel and one BEV (electric) powertrains are offered. The entry model comes with a manual gearbox – this will appeal to bulk fleet buyers and those on a tighter budget. The remaining diesels have a choice of manual or automatic. The automatic gearbox features diving modes and is a no brainer choice as far as we are concerned. We drove all variants in and around The Hague outside Amsterdam and the box made ease of use nearly effortless.
Proace formerly known as Hiace was launched in 1969 and this vehicle became legendary in Ireland. Toyota over the years saw rivals secure the lion’s share of the light commercial market and is having to play catch up. The firm will use its network of dealers and some interesting finance and sales supports to try to grow its Ireland market share. A 10 year warranty or 185,000km – whichever comes first is one headline grabber for the new Max – but dig a little deeper and even the dogs in the street know a busy courier could do that mileage in less than three years.
In Europe Toyota’s share of the van market is modest at less than 7%. Toyota says that in 2025 it will have grown its van network to 500, with dedicated ‘Professional Centres’ to support its commercial vehicles. Toyota is targeting a solid 7% share and a top six place – with circa 170,000 sales (20% of which will be BEV electric).
The engine range is based on a Euro 6.4, 2.2 litre turbo diesel with a variety of outputs ranging from 120hp/320nm, 140hp/350nm and 180hp/380nm. The BEV comes in one body size and can carry a 1,500kg payload. It is certified to tow 2,400kgs. It’s motor produces 272hp and its battery capacity is 110kWh. Toyota quotes a maximum driving range from full of 420km – again maximum range in a van can often be misleading i.e. you might get close to it when driving it very slowly, in summer, on the flat with a bag of sugar in the back.
The shortest Max is the L2 at 5,41m, L3 is 5.99m and L4 is over six metres at 6,36m. H1 is 2,25m tall, H2 is 2,52m and H3 is 2,76m. The Proace Max in the L3/H2 configuration will be the best seller. Toyota says 90% of Max sales will have some sort of accessory or conversion. Factory built conversions available include: Crewcab, Crewcab Dropside, Tipper 1 way and 3 way, Crewcab Tipper, Dropside. A Platform Cab (no bulkhead), Chassis Cab and Crewcab Chassis Cab will also feature. All variants are official and fully integrated as part of normal production.
The entry cabin is functional and utterly average with lots of hard plastics used. It features a small 5-inch digital display that is pretty grim. There is an optional 10-inch touchscreen that is much nicer to interact with (standard on BEV). There is ‘Cloud’ based navigation with ‘Live’ traffic updates and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available. The gear shifter is dash mounted and this allows good walkthrough access. The driver’s seat is fully adjustable, but the passenger bench seats weren’t.
The Proace Max has a host of safety features with highlights including: Cross Wind Assist – that is great in a large van, especially when it is light or unloaded. Trailer Stability Control, Post Collision Braking, Intelligent Speed Assist, Digital Rearview Camera and Event data Recording, 360 Degree Park Warning and rear parking radar. Proace Max also has ‘Autonomous Driving Level 2’ with traffic jam assist alongside adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist. Toyota says its ‘MOIS’ Moving Off information system and ‘BSIS” Blind Spot information system are unique in the N2 class.
The Proace Max is a great addition to the Toyota Professional lineup. We drive all panel van variants in diesel and BEV guises. The BEV was the easiest to use and offered the most relaxing driving experience. The diesels were as you’d expect. at 100km/h the large side mirrors made a bit of noise but otherwise the cabin was refined and quite quiet. The Max is easy to use in the city, with a tight turning circle and good visibility. The manual is nice but we refer the automatic gearbox. It is ideal for urban use or frequent drops and stop offs. The range of vehicle sizes and availability of specialised factory conversions and partial conversions is comprehensive. Potential buyers can be assured that Toyota Ireland will be very keen to conquest customers over to its biggest van yet. Michael Sheridan
