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By Jonathan Crouch

Toyota's large van is this contender, the Proace Max. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 33

Toyota brings us its very first large van, the Proace Max - with a little help from the Stellantis Group. It comes in both diesel and EV forms and completes Toyota's LCV portfolio.

Backgroundword count: 189

It's taken Toyota a very long time to get around to bringing us a large van. Until the arrival of this model, the Proace Max, in 2024, the largest LCV Toyota would sell you was a Transit Custom or Vivaro-sized model, the Proace. Which is surprising as for a long time now, this Japanese brand has had access to the design sold under various marque badges by what is these days known as the Stellantis Group. The design is question is variously marketed as the Vauxhall Movano, the Peugeot Boxer, the Citroen Relay and (in a mildly different form) as the Fiat Ducato. All these models have also been on sale in full-electric form since 2020 - but in guises that featured rather embarrassingly short battery range figures. Perhaps that explains Toyota's initial reluctance to take up this design, which lasted until Stellantis announced a far-reaching update of this van design for the 2024 model year, including a vastly superior 110kWh battery drivetrain. This sells alongside the more conventional 2.2-litre diesel powerplants that operators still want. Now that this Proace Max has finally arrived, let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 273

Diesel versions of this Proace Max come with the same Stellantis Group-derived 2.2-litre unit you'll find in this model's Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat Stellantis Group cousins. This is available here with a single 140bhp output and can be combined with 8-speed automatic transmission. Mechanically, the Proace Max is based around a front-wheel drive configuration with a McPherson front suspension and a rigid-axle rear suspension with leaf springs. Refinement is aided by considerable under-body and upper body strengthening also aimed at producing greater durability. The alternative Proace Max Electric uses a big Stellantis-derived 110kWh battery which takes this LCV 260 miles between charges. It powers an electric motor putting out 270bhp and 400Nm of torque - though you only get that with the fastest of the three available drive settings ('Power'). The default 'Normal' mode restricts this Toyota to 217bhp, while the 'Eco' setting you'll need to get anywhere near the quoted driving range figure restricts you to just 163bhp. There are four selectable levels of brake regeneration, which are operated by paddles behind the steering wheel. Bear in mind that as usual with EV vans, the range figure will drop off quite a bit if you've a full load out back. This EV model's under-floor battery positioning results in a low centre of gravity, improving cornering and stability even when fully loaded. The electric power steering now automatically adjusts the assistance to the speed of the vehicle. This increases driving comfort at higher speeds and makes manoeuvring in the city more comfortable. There's an electric parking brake, activated via a switch on the instrument panel to the left of the steering wheel.

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