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The What Van? Road Test: Toyota Corolla Commercial (2022)
Date: Friday, November 18, 2022
Operating
Toyota has come up with a clever aftersales package to distinguish its light commercials from the competition.
Corolla Commercial owners can have their van maintained at a garage of their choosing for the first three years of its life.
After three years the initial 60,000-mile warranty expires, but they can benefit from an extra 12-month/10,000-mile warranty each time they have the vehicle serviced by an authorised Toyota workshop in line with its service schedule.
The warranty is provided at no extra charge up to a limit of 10 years/100,000 miles.
Five years’ worth of roadside assistance is provided from the date of first registration plus the guarantee of a service appointment at a Toyota dealership within seven days. If the guarantee is breached then the customer qualifies for a 50% cut in the workshop labour charge.
Toyota Corolla Commercial
Price (ex VAT) £21,640
Price range (ex. VAT) £21,640
Gross payload 425kg
Load length 1,558mm
Load width (min/max) 952mm/1,430mm
Load bay height 682mm
Load volume 1.3m3
Loading height 686mm
Rear door aperture 889mm x 1,041mm
Side door aperture 940mm x 724mm
Gross vehicle weight 1,835kg
Braked trailer towing weight 750kg
Residual value 30.3%*
Cost per mile 42.0p*
Engine size/power 1,798cc/120hp @ 5,200rpm
Torque 142Nm @ 3,600rpm
Gearbox 1sp
Fuel economy (combined WLTP) 55.6mpg
Fuel tank 43 litres
CO2 (WLTP) 115g/m
Warranty 10yrs/100,000mls
Service intervals 1yr/10,000mls
Insurance group 27E
Price as tested £22,165
* after 48 months/20,000 miles p.a – source – KWIKcarcost
Options
Metallic paint £525
Rivals
Dacia Duster Commercial
Price (ex. VAT) £13,995–£18,795
Load volume 1.6m3
Gross payload 486–503kg
Engines 90hp 1.0 petrol, 150hp 1.3 petrol, 115hp 1.5 diesel
Verdict: Having been recently-revamped, the highly-practical SUV car-derived Duster Commercial offers excellent value for money and the 4x4 variant is no slouch off-road either. It is good to see that it can now be ordered with a dual-clutch automatic EDC gearbox. Interior does tend towards the cheap and cheerful, but build quality is OK overall.
LEVC VN5
Price (ex. VAT) £48,900–£53,550
Load volume 5.5m3
Gross payload 699–830kg
Engines 90hp 1.5 petrol, 110kW electric motor
Verdict: Arguably Corolla Commercial’s nearest rival, the range-extended made-in-Britain VN5 is car-derived in the sense that it is based on the TX taxi. It is worth a look if you fancy something a bit different, but unfortunately it does not come cheap. LEVC’s light commercial line-up is limited as well, so you’ll have to look elsewhere if you need something bigger or smaller.
Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial
Price (ex. VAT) £34,036–£38,378
Load volume 1.6–2.2m3
Gross payload 488–756kg
Engines 201hp 2.8 diesel
Verdict: Based on the Land Cruiser car, and a rugged off-roader if ever there was one, the 4x4 Land Cruiser Commercial is just what you require if you need to haul tools and parts to fix equipment that can only be reached by driving up muddy and pot-holed tracks. For your money you get plenty of power and the choice of either a manual or an automatic transmission.
The Final Verdict
Design 8/10 – Attractive package that offers zero-emission driving with zero range anxiety
Cabin 8/10 – Comfortable working environment with a lots of goodies, like heated seats
Ride 8/10 – Smooth and supple, copes well with the UK’s dilapidated road network
Refinement 8/10 – Clearly well put together and in-cab noise levels are suppressed, for the most part
Load area 8/10 – Small with limited capacity, but accessible, protected against minor damage
Handling/performance 8/10 – Steering can feel a little dead, handling is dependable, with ample performance
Engine/transmission 8/10 – All parts work well together, with a seamless transition though practice is needed
Standard equipment 7/10 – Good selection with smart safety devices, but no spare wheel or reversing sensors
Operating costs 9/10 – Fuel-frugal, and Toyota deserves high praise for its aftersales offer
What Van? subjective rating 8/10 – Well-thought-out vehicle with precious few direct competitors
Overall Rating = 80/100
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