2021 (21) Toyota Proace City 1.5D 75 Active Van

By Jonathan Crouch

Introduction

Until the launch of this Proace City model, Toyota was competing in just 40% of the LCV market, so the launch of this compact van in 2018 was hugely important for the brand. Its practical attributes are the same as those of the PSA/Stellantis Group LCV models whose design it shares, but the warranty from new was better, as might be the dealer service that comes with it.

History

Back in 2018, Toyota didn't have much of a history in making compact vans but the brand needed one if it was to grow its share of the LCV market. By then, the Japanese maker was already sharing engineering with the French PSA Group to create its mid-sized Proace van, so it made sense to also borrow that Gallic conglomerate's design for a smaller model, which is what brought us this Proace City. All the things that really matter about the Proace City are the same as you'll find in the small LCVs from this period whose design is shares - the Peugeot Partner, the Citroen Berlingo, the Vauxhall Combo Cargo and (from 2022) the Fiat Doblo. But here, those established ingredients were delivered with Toyota's strong equipment levels and comprehensive warranty, plus what the brand hoped was more appealing packaging. An all-electric version of this model joined the diesel versions in 2020 (Toyota's first ever electric vehicle) and both variants sold in this form until late 2023, when the brand introduced a thorough facelift (and an MPV Verso EV version). It's the pre-facelift van models we look at here.

What You Get

Sharp, beaky styling distinguishes this Proace City van from its PSA/Stellantis design stablemates that sit on the same stiff, sophisticated EMP2 platform. Like those LCV cousin models, it's available in a choice of short or long body lengths. And as with those vans, there's no option when it comes to roof height. What you get inside will be influenced quite a lot by your choice of trim. The plusher 'Icon' version gets a three-seater arrangement with a middle passenger seat backrest that folds down to create a desk top. 'Icon'-spec also gets you a 'Smart Cargo system' - basically a flap in the bulkhead that allows longer items to be pushed through from the load area, increasing load length by 1.3m for things like ladders. The base 'Active'-spec did without this feature (except as an option) and has two separate front seats. With both versions, there is no lack of storage space in the cab: 16 storage points, these including a 15-litre area in the centre console. There are plenty of connectivity features too. The load bay dimensions are the same for both diesel and EV and are perfectly in line with the segment, with a length of 4,403mm for the 'short' version ensuring an optimum effective usable length of 1.81m and a 3.3m3 capacity, sufficient to accommodate two Euro pallets. There are slide-opening side doors and twin side-hinged rear doors that open to 180 degrees. Plus the payload is up to one tonne. The 'long' version, which is 4,753mm long, provides even greater load capacity - 3.9m3. Yet more space can be freed up with the clever Smart Cargo feature (which was standard on Icon, but an option on Active grade). This uses a folding front passenger bench to add an extra 0.4m3, while also increasing the maximum load length by 1.3m. Payload varies from 936-982kgs with the diesel and from 651kg to 759kg with the EV (the higher figures being for the L1 body shape). On the move in the diesel, an engine stop-start function supports fuel economy and lower emissions. Maintenance schedules are up to 25,000 miles/two years.

What to Look For

The diesel 1.5-litre unit has a pretty good track record, so it's mainly just interior, wear and tear and electrical stuff you need to look out for. A few owners reported issues with the sound quality from the speakers, caused by problems with speaker wiring. We've heard problems with the air conditioning system not cooling properly during hot weather conditions. This can be due to a faulty compressor, a refrigerant leak or a blocked condenser. Some owners have also reported problems with the central locking system malfunctioning. What else? Well examine for flaking of paint on the bumpers and check that the air conditioning works and that the pixels on the centre display are all good. Also check for rear bumper scrapes. Check that the Bluetooth pairs reliably with your phone handset. Electrical glitches are relatively common, so make sure everything electrical in the car works and double-check that there are no unexplained warning lights on the dashboard. The borrowed PSA/Stellantis infotainment touchscreen software can sometimes cause the monitor to freeze or fail completely. A software reset may solve the problem, but some owners have had to replace the entire unit, which is not a cheap operation. Of course you'll want a fully stamped up service record. The drive battery in used Proace City Electric models should have quite a bit of life in it, unless you happen to be looking at one of the very earliest versions. When the battery is on its way out, you'll obviously find that it won't go as far on each charge - and when it starts to run low on charge, you'll find that the car will particularly start to struggle going uphill. When it gets old, the lithium-ion battery used here can suffer from the ionised liquid in the battery freezing certain cells; those cells are then unable to receive charge. Before going to all that trouble though, make sure the issue really is the battery. If the car won't charge, it could be a problem with your home electrics (or those at the public charge point you're using). Check the charge light to make sure that electricity really is going through the charge port. And make sure there really is charge in the socket you're using to power from - plug something else into it to see - say, your 'phone. If that charges OK, it could be that your charging cable is demanding too much power, so try another power source. Another problem could be that the circuit may have tripped due to a circuit overload. Or perhaps there could be a problem with the charge cable: this needs to be cared for properly. Repeatedly driving over it (as previous owners may conceivably have done) will damage it eventually. Make sure you do a charge-up before signing for the van you're looking at. When you do this, make sure that when you plug in to start the charge cycle you hear the charge port and the cable locking and engaging as they should; that's all part of the charger basically confirming with the car's onboard computer that everything's good to go before releasing power. But if the charging cable fails to lock as it should, then that won't happen. If there is a failure to lock, the issue could be actuator failure, caused by a blown fuse.

Replacement Parts

(approx based on a 2021 Proace City Electric excl. VAT - autopartspro.co.uk) A pair of front brake pads are between £18-£11 depending on brand. A pair of rear brake pads are between £23-£58. A pair of front brake discs start in the £30-£38 bracket; rears are between £23-£34. Pollen filters cost around £9-£50 and wiper blades cost around £6-£9.

On the Road

Let's start with the diesel version. The Euro6 engine range is made up of 1.5-litre diesel units borrowed from PSA/Stellantis and offered in 75 or 100hp forms. There's a 1.5-tonne towing capability that's un-bettered in the class. There's very little about the handling dynamics of this van that encourage you to push it on in any way at all. Instead, development priority has been given to the creation of a supple quality of ride - something daily drivers will probably appreciate rather more. The performance stats on offer will be quite sufficient for the daily needs of likely operators - with the 100hp variant anyway, which gets to 62mph in 11.5s en route to 107mph. The base 75hp model is quite a lot slower, managing only 15.8s en route to 94mph. Decent highway refinement should be possible thanks to the installation of a full-height bulkhead in the cab. Further peace of mind can come with the addition of the extra-cost camera-driven safety kit that better-spec versions provided. This model's PSA-derived EMP2 platform enables short overhangs and a small turning circle for easy manoeuvring: the kerb to kerb turning radius is only 10.82m for the smaller 'Short' version and 11.43m for the 'long' variant. As for the EV model, well if you know anything about the engineering of this product, you won't be expecting it to be any different to drive than its e-Partner, e-Berlingo or Combo Cargo-e EV cousins - and of course, it isn't. Start up and there's the usual beep as you get the sign that all is ready to pull away; which you do in the default 'Normal' drive mode. The other selectable drive settings are 'Eco' and 'Power'. You'll need the 'Power' mode to unleash the electric motor's full 134bhp output, though if you drive like that, you will of course get nowhere near the 50kWh battery's WLTP-rated best driving range figure of up to 168 miles. Better to stick to the 'Normal' mode, which restricts output to 108bhp; or possibly around town to 'Eco' mode, though that gives you just 81bhp and restricts the climate system. 'Normal' mode should be fine for realistic maximisation of range, particularly if you select the 'B' transmission setting that increases brake regeneration. As usual with EVs, if you do need performance, it's only a right foot jab away; 62mph from rest occupies 11.2s, but the instant response you get to 30mph makes this LCV feel quicker than that. Overtakes are easy too; 50-75 mph takes 8.9s. A 100kW DC fast-charging system can recharge the battery up to 80 per cent in around 30 minutes. A 7.4kW garage wallbox would need four and a half hours and a domestic socket a yawning 30 and a half hours.

Overall

We were surprised that it took Toyota until 2018 to get itself a foothold in the small van market with this model, especially since the Japanese brand had had access to other platform-shared designs for decades. The Proace City showed what its dealers had been missing out on. Namely a well engineered and very complete compact LCV contender that merited a justified place on any business fleet manager's wish list. The fact that during this model's initial lifetime Toyota was a smaller player in the LCV sector is probably a plus here; you may well find you'll get more personal dealer service when the time comes for maintenance, rather than being just a number at an alternative volume brand LCV dealership. Which, given this van's very complete engineering and design CV, may be just enough for some to swing the decision Toyota's way. If that's the case for you, we'd understand your thinking.