Toyota Proace Max test drive

Make and model: Toyota Proace Max
Description: large panel van, diesel or electric
Price range: £xx + VAT (plus options)

Toyota says: “The all-new Toyota Proace Max combines powerful load carrying and class-leading capacity with efficient driving and a bold, robust design.”

We say: The Toyota Proace Max doesn’t make any giant leap forward for the large van market, but it’s a good, honest workhorse that should fit seamlessly into your business. What should make you prioritise the Toyota over the near-identical Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroën or Fiat vans is the extendable warranty and roadside assistance offering.

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Introduction

The Proace Max is both the newest and the oldest vehicle in the Toyota Professional LCV range. How does it manage this trick?

Well, it’s brand new to Toyota – the latest addition to the company’s expanding van range, which already includes the mid-sized Proace and small Proace City. And, like both of those models, it’s available with a choice of fossil-fuel or electric power.

But it’s old in another sense, for this van has been around – wearing half a dozen different badges – for almost two decades, albeit with a couple of major updates along the way to keep it legal and competitive in the marketplace.

Although the badge says Toyota, the Proace Max is built by Stellantis, the automotive giant formed from the merger between Groupe PSA (Peugeot, Citroën, Vauxhall, Opel) and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (Fiat and most other Italian car brands, plus Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram).

It’s almost exactly the same van as the Peugeot Boxer, Vauxhall Movano, Citroën Relay and Fiat Ducato. In continental Europe, it’s also sold as the Opel Movano and in America, it’s sold as the Ram ProMaster. All versions of the van are identical apart from badges, some light cosmetic differences around the front bumper and grille, and some minor specification variations.

Having old bones isn’t really a big negative for a working van, but clearly the Proace Max doesn’t make any kind of giant leap forward for the large van market. It’s more a question of whether the Toyota brand and dealer network are a better choice for your business than those of Peugeot, Vauxhall, Citroën or Fiat.

Who is this van aimed at?

The large van market has been pretty flat so far this year (up to August, which is the most recent data as this is written), trailing overall modest growth in the UK van market. Toyota, however, sees the Proace Max as contributing a handy chunk of sales to help the company maintain it steady growth over the last few years.

One senses that the goal here is to lure in businesses who currently run the same van with other badges, using the strength of the Toyota brand name and the reputation of its dealer network to win business away from the Stellantis brands.

Who won’t like it?

If you’re looking for one of the newest vans on the market, there are a few choices that are significantly fresher than the Proace Max. The Renault Master/Nissan Interstar twins are all-new models launched in the last year, while the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Volkswagen Crafter are also both significantly newer vehicles.

The Ford Transit is comfortably the biggest selling large van in the UK, and for many business remains the default choice in this sector. However, that’s not a significantly newer design than the Toyota/Stellantis vehicles, with the current Transit dating back to 2014.

The Proace Max Electric has a far more modern powertrain underneath than the conventional diesel version, but large electric vans have struggled this year despite government regulation mandating minimum sales targets of EVs. For some businesses – those with guaranteed access to charging and an operational radius that falls within the battery range – the Proace Max Electric could be an excellent choice. For most companies, however, the electric model won’t enter the equation.

What do you get for your money?

As with most van models, there’s a matrix of length and height combinations to choose from – in this case, three of each. Here in the UK, the Toyota Proace Max diesel van will be offered in two body lengths of 5.4m and 6.0m (known as L2 and L3). Both are available with a roof heights of 2.5m (H2), while the longer version is also available with a height of 2.8m (H3). There will also be a cab chassis model of 6.0m length and 2.3m height (H1). The biggest-selling model is expected to be the 6.0m long/2.5m high (L3H2) version.

The cab chassis also forms the basis for Toyota’s factory conversion offering, which include tipper, dropside and box (Luton) bodies.

If you’re looking for an electric version, the Toyota Proace Max Electric will be offered in lengths of 6.0m (L3) and 6.4m (L4). As with the diesel version, the 6.0m model will be available with either roof height, while the longer 6.4m version will only be available in the taller 2.8m (H3) height.

Although there will be a choice of diesel engines in Europe, here in the UK there will only be one version, which is a 2.2-litre engine producing 140hp. It’s available with either a six-speed manual gearbox or an eight-speed automatic transmission. Manual versions have a higher maximum torque of 350Nm, while the auto versions are limited to 280Nm.

For the Proace Max Electric, the electric motor produces 200kW (270hp) of power and 410Nm of torque. Like all EVs, it’s automatic only. Its official government lab test battery range is 260 miles, but in real-world driving loaded up rather than empty, assume about 200 miles and you should be safe.

There’s only one trim level for the UK for the foreseeable future, known as ‘Icon’ in Toyota-speak. It comes with most of the connectivity and safety features you’d expect in a modern working van – a large ten-inch central touchscreen connects seamlessly to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for navigation and phone, as well as displaying the reversing camera. Rear parking sensors are also standard, as are niceties like automatic headlights and wipers.

Safety systems include adaptive cruise control, blind spot and lane-keeping assistance, autonomous emergency braking and the usual complement of airbags.

What can you get in it?

The van models offer a range of volumes from 11.5m³ in the smallest model (L2H2 diesel van) to 17m³ (L4H3 electric van). In the largest version, that means comfortably being able to five five Euro pallets in the cargo bay.

Gross vehicle weight (GVW) for all diesel models is 3,500kg, while the electric model is 4,250kg. Payload on the diesel vans is up to 2,270kg depending on model, while on the electric model this is reduced to 1,800kg – with a caveat.

You can drive the diesel vans with a regular car licence but – at this time – you need to complete an additional five hours of training to drive the electric model if the vehicle weight exceeds 3,500kg. This training requirement is apparently going to be scrapped at some point, but this has yet to happen. So if you’re driving the Proace Max Electric on a regular licence and haven’t had additional professional training, your maximum payload is reduced to a far less satisfactory 1,050kg.

The rear barn doors swing out a full 270 degrees, and there is a single sliding door on the passenger side.

What’s the Toyota Proace Max like inside?

The cabin of the Toyota Proace Max hides its ultimate 2006 origins very well. The dashboard is almost completely different to earlier versions of the Stellantis vans, so everything feels surprisingly contemporary. In front of the driver is a fully digital screen for speed and driving information, while in the centre of the dashboard is a large central touchscreen for navigation and audio functions.

As in most passenger cars, the steering wheel spokes contain controls for the cruise control, volume and other controls so you can make changes without taking your hands off the wheel. Most of the other controls are easy to find and operate while on the move, which makes jumping in and driving off a breeze.

The driving position is very upright, like a trucker. The adjustment of the wheel and seat are reasonable, although a bit more length in the seat travel would be nice. Headroom is obviously not an issue in a large van. The brake pedal and accelerator pedals are quite offset to the right (at least in the left-hand-drive vehicles that we drove at the model launch in the Netherlands), so it’s not ideal for those who use their left foot to brake.

All versions of the Proace Max sold in the UK come with a digital central rear-view mirror. This takes a bit of getting used to, but once you’ve acclimatised you’ll appreciate the clear view out the back of van, even when it’s dark and/or wet. The door mirrors are large two-part affairs, with wide-angle mirrors underneath the regular mirrors. They make blind-spot checks quite easy.

What’s under the bonnet?

Here, the Proace Max goes in two different directions. Most buyers right now will inevitably gravitate toward the diesel models, while Toyota (as with every other van manufacturer) would really like you to consider the electric version.

The 2.2-litre diesel engine on offer in the UK is only available with an output of 140hp (other markets have more and/or less powerful versions, so make sure you’re looking at UK information). It’s available with a choice of manual or automatic transmissions, driving through the front wheels. Maximum torque is better in the manual version, at 350Nm. The auto is only rated at 280Nm, which is not likely to be too noticeable a difference when the cargo bay is unladen or only lightly loaded, but more pronounced when you’re at maximum payload.

The EV version is powered by a single electric motor, again driving through the front wheels. Like all EVs, it’s auto only as there’s no conventional gearbox. Maximum power is 270hp (or 200kW, since EVs generally use metric measurements), with maximum torque of 410Nm. As is now common on electric trucks, you can adjust the regenerative braking to coast more freely or decelerate more noticeably when you lift off the throttle. The stronger braking settings recoup a bit more electricity to the battery, potentially giving you a few more miles of driving.

What’s the Toyota Proace Max like to drive?

We started with the diesel version, on a mixed route of urban streets and A-roads in the Netherlands at the European launch event – at which we also drove the mid-sized Proace and smaller Proace City models (reviews coming soon) – before retracing the same route in the electric version.

The Proace Max diesel has a familiar feel about it, not just because it’s the same as its Stellantis siblings but because it’s a thoroughly conventional big diesel van. Our vehicle had the automatic transmission and it was smooth at all times, never getting caught out in the wrong gear when you put your foot down.

The cabin was noisier than the smaller models, with a few more little buzzes and rattles. Despite the fresh dashboard that all versions of this van received last year, it still feels like an older model van – which it is, of course. But as we said earlier, this isn’t a real problem for working vans compared to passenger cars, and the Proace Max felt solid at all times.

Acceleration was decent in the auto, although our van was unladen so you’d be working a bit harder if it was fully loaded. The diesel engine gets louder and harsher under heavy throttle, but settles down to a quiet rumble when cruising.

The driving positions is very upright, with good vision to the front. The large wing mirrors are good, and have both regular and wide-angle lenses, while the digital central rear-view mirror is very helpful for reversing the big van into tight spaces. Steering is light, with lots of arm twirling required for u-turns. Some of these u-turns turned into three-point turns as the turning circle is unsurprisingly large on such a big van (we drove the 6.0m L3 version).

The adaptive cruise control/lane-keeping system that Toyota calls ‘Co-Pilot’ works well and is easy to flick on and off as required, so you find yourself tending to use it quite regularly. Pleasingly, it seemed to follow all line markings easily without getting confused, but these sort of systems always work best on well-marked A-roads and motorways rather than in the suburbs.

Swapping into the Proace Max Electric felt like jumping about a decade forward in time, being very smooth and quiet in comparison to the diesel. The electric motor is also a lot more responsive, with twice the power and a load more torque, plus the immediate throttle response that is startling if you’re used to a typically laggy diesel engine.

The regenerative braking modes are easy to adjust via paddles behind the steering wheel spokes, so you can play with them to almost eliminate the need to use the brakes in many driving situations.

Toyota Proace Max – charging

A key aspect of any electric van is how quickly you can charge the battery, to minimise downtime at work. The Proace Max Electric is competitive here.

The battery capacity is 110kWh, which gives an official EU/UK government driving range of 260 miles – although in real-world driving with a loaded vehicle, rather than in optimised lab conditions, you can assume it will be closer to 200 miles.

The Proace Max Electric can take charging speeds of up to 150kW from a public rapid charger, meaning you can charge it from 10% to 80% (the default measurement for fast charging) in less than an hour.

If you’re at a 50kW charging point, which is more common and usually cheaper, you’d be looking at about three hours to do the same charge. A full charge (to 100%) from a wallbox at home or work will take about 12 hours.

The charging port is on the left-hand side of the van, just behind the front door. That means it should be equally convenient for parking either nose-first or tail-first into a parking bay.

Warranty, servicing and after-sales

This is the area where Toyota is making a big push to grow its customer base, and it’s here where it offers a decisive difference to the four other brands selling basically the same van.

The standard new vehicle warranty on the Toyota Proace Max is three years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. In addition, the battery on the Proace Max Electric is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles. That’s slightly poorer than the Stellantis brands, with Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroën and Fiat all offering three years or 100,000 miles on their vans from new. However, Toyota has one valuable trick up its sleeve…

Once the Toyota new vehicle warranty has expired, you can keep extending it by a year or 10,000 miles at no cost every time you have your van serviced by a Toyota dealer, up to a maximum of ten years or 100,000 miles. Doing so also extends your roadside assistance for an extra year/10,000 miles as well. This annual warranty extension is a unique advantage to Toyota over the other four brands.

Crucially, if you’re buying a used Toyota LCV, it doesn’t matter whether the previous owner kept the servicing current. As long as you take the van to an authorised Toyota service centre, you will still get the extra year/10,000 miles of warranty.

Toyota also guarantees a suitable loan van while yours in in the workshop so you can continue operating, with extended servicing hours available at dealerships. The company is also launching an Express Service offer in early 2025, which will allocate two technicians to your van to turn it around twice as quickly.

Verdict

As we said at the beginning, the Toyota Proace Max doesn’t make any kind of giant leap forward for the large van market. It’s a good, honest workhorse that should fit seamlessly into your business. The Proace Max Electric is a significantly better van to drive than the diesel version, so if its particular range and payload limitations fit within your business needs and budget, you or your employees will enjoy driving it more than the diesel. If you can charge it on-site or at home overnight, you’ll also benefit from substantially lower running costs.

If you’re looking at any of the Proace Max models – diesel or electric – and comparing it to the equivalent Vauxhall Movano/Peugeot Boxer/Citroën Relay/Fiat Ducato, you’re more likely to be swayed by a particular deal or the convenience of your local dealership than the badge on the bonnet – which is entirely reasonable.

What should make you prioritise the Toyota over its siblings is the extendable warranty and roadside assistance offering. If you’re a business owner who plans to keep your van beyond the end of the new vehicle warranty period, this is a valuable point in Toyota’s favour.

Similar vehicles

Citroën Relay | Fiat Ducato | Ford Transit | Iveco Daily | Maxus Deliver 9 | Mercedes-Benz Sprinter | Nissan Interstar | Peugeot Boxer | Renault Master | Vauxhall Movano | Volkswagen Crafter

As you can see, there are plenty of large vans to choose from in the UK market. It’s worth noting that the Toyota Proace Max is basically the same vehicle as the Citroën Relay, Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer and Vauxhall Movano.

All of the above vans apart from the Volkswagen Crafter are also now available with electric power, so if you’re looking at Proace Max Electric, similar vehicles are:

Citroën ë-Relay | Fiat E-Ducato | Ford E-Transit | Iveco eDaily | Maxus e Deliver 9 | Mercedes-Benz eSprinter | Nissan Interstar EV | Peugeot e-Boxer | Renault Master E-Tech | Vauxhall Movano Electric

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