July launch for Toyota Proace

Date: Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Toyota is to launch its new mid-sized van, the Proace, in July. It stems from a collaboration with PSA that is expected to last until at least 2020 and is based on the Peugeot Expert and Citroen Dispatch models.

Like the PSA vans, the Proace will be offered with three diesel engines: a 1.6, 89hp unit and a pair of 2.0-litre drivetrains with outputs of 126 and 161hp.

It will be available with two wheelbases (L1, L2) and two roof heights (H1, H2) and, according to the manufacturer, customers will be able to choose from nine variations of Proace panel vans as well as a crew van version, which seats six people and comes in a single configuration of L2, H1 along with the 126hp, 2.0-litre engine.

As for the panel vans, standard wheelbase (L1) models measure 4,805mm overall, with a 3,000mm wheelbase; the longer versions are 5,135mm long with a 3,122mm wheelbase. The standard height (H1) is 1,942mm, with a higher roof (2,276mm) available with the L2 wheelbase. In L1H1 specification, total load space is 5.0m³; in the L2H1 vans this increased to 6.0m³, with the L2H2 offering 7.0m³.

Panel van payloads are 1.0 or 1.2-tonnes and prices, excluding VAT, start from £17,840 for the 1.6D 89hp L1H1 panel van and rise to £22,240 for the crew cab. The top-priced panel van is the L2H2 2.0D 161hp at £21,200.

The 1.6-litre engine produces maximum torque of 180Nm and is mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The 2.0-litre versions get six-speed manual gearboxes with peak torque figures for the 126 and 161hp versions 320 and 340Nm respectively.

Toyota claims the most efficient 2.0-litre models achieve combined cycle fuel consumption of 44.1mpg and CO2 emissions of 168g/km.

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