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By Jonathan Crouch

Toyota enters the EV market for small MPVs with this Proace City Verso EV. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 40

The Proace City Verso EV is the smaller MPV sibling to the Proace Verso EV. And Toyota's version of the Stellantis Group compact electric van-based people carrier design already offered by Peugeot, Vauxhall, and Citroen. Let's take a closer look.

Backgroundword count: 163

Perhaps the affordable section of the people carrier MPV market has life left in it after all. We've recently seen rejuvenated versions of the Vauxhall Combo Life, the Peugeot Rifter and the Citroen Berlingo hit the market. Now Toyota has joined the fray with this car, the Proace City Verso EV. As its name suggests, like its Vauxhall, Peugeot and Citroen Stellantis Group cousins, it's fully electric. And, like these models, it can come in five or seven-seat form. Toyota has no history in this segment of the MPV market, which is possibly why, when it introduced the Proace City van in 2018, it didn't then choose to sell us the MPV Verso version of that borrowed Stellantis Group design that it could have offered. As part of the early 2024 Proace City mid-term facelift though, Toyota has decided to add this passenger-carrying Verso version to the line-up, mindful no doubt of the pressing need to incorporate more EVs in its model range.

Driving Experienceword count: 211

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-Rifter, E-Berlingo or Combo Electric Stellantis Group 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, rated at up to 213 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 MPV feel quicker than that. Overtakes are easy too; 50-75 mph takes 8.9s.

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