What Van? Britain's biggest and best van buyers' guide

1st Report

When a light commercial joins the What Van? long-term test fleet it can look forward to a bit of hard graft. 

One of the first tasks of the latest arrival – Toyota’s Corolla Commercial – was to ferry bags of road salt plus a salt bin to a parish council storage facility (a lock-up garage, in other words) in south Herefordshire. Hopefully they won’t be required until next winter; but you never know. 

Derived from the Corolla Touring Sport 1.8 Hybrid car, the five-door Corolla Commercial is now the only traditional car-derived van on sale in the UK if you ignore van versions of taxis and SUVs. 

Built in Britain, it is a self-charging hybrid which can run on zero-emission battery power, but can switch to a combination of petrol and battery power as and when required. Its ability to charge itself avoids the hassle of having to plug the battery into a charging point.

It comes with one level of specification and it is quite a high one, with heated seats, a reversing camera and air-conditioning. The driver and passenger can set the temperatures they require individually.

Keyless ignition is fitted and the electronic parking brake can be applied or released manually or automatically.

An 8in touchscreen dominates the dashboard with a DAB radio. Smartphone integration is provided with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with Bluetooth compatibility. 

Access to the modest 1.3m³ cargo area is by means of a glazed rear hatch-type door plus a hinged door on each side with its windows covered with opaque film. The ability to get at the load bay from three sides makes life a lot easier. 

The car’s rear seats have been replaced by a timber cargo bed covered by a tailored rubber mat with half-a-dozen load tie-down points. A steel half-height bulkhead topped off by a mesh grille should protect the cab’s occupants if an unsecured load slides forward.

On the subject of safety, the sleek-looking Corolla Commercial comes with a host of built-in devices. The roster includes Pre-Collision System, which brakes the van automatically if the driver ignores a warning that he is about to hit something.

Present too is Adaptive Cruise Control, which helps you maintain a healthy distance from the vehicle in front.

Lane Departure Alert triggers a warning if you begin to wander out of your lane on a motorway or dual carriageway. It also delivers steering input to nudge you back onto the right path.

The van’s power pack consists of a 120hp 1.8-litre petrol engine which works in conjunction with a 53kW electric motor/generator and a lithium-ion battery. A single-speed Continuously Variable Transmission delivers the power to the wheels.

The van pulls away from rest using the electric motor. In most circumstances thereafter the petrol engine takes the lead, leaving the motor to act as a generator and charge the battery.

Put your foot down and the battery’s power is added to that of the engine, delivering extra impetus.

Energy that would otherwise be lost when the van slows is recovered and pumped into the battery. To maximise this effect, push the gear shift lever to the ‘B’ setting when you are descending a steep hill.