Toyota Hiace Van Range : ACE IN THE HOLE

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Toyota's Hiace van has been improved to ensure that its relevance to UK businesses is preserved. Steve Walker reportsâ€¦

Sooner or later in business, everything comes down to money and commercial vehicles are no exception. There are vans with prestigious badges, rakish bodywork, huge engines or lashings of equipment but all have cost premiums to match. Toyota's Hiace, in contrast, is a sensible Transit-sized option that simply gets on with the job of reliably and economically delivering you goods.

The Hiace is demonstrably not the most modern panel van you're going to come across during the hunt for a vehicle that suits your business. Under different names, through a succession of revisions and improvements, it has certainly been around for a while. Yet, the years haven't taken their toll as vehemently as they have with some other long-serving commercial vehicles. In its latest form, the Hiace looks up-to-date with its revised front grille and wheeltrims, whilst inside, there's a more modern feel too courtesy of more comfortable seats and smarter trim. Car-like features include an MP3-compatible CD stereo, the option of DVD sat nav, plus the usual ABS and driver's airbag as standard. The cabin is a quieter place to be, too, thanks to strategic use of extra sound-absorbing material throughout the vehicle that has significantly reduced noise, vibration and harshness. Window glass has been changed to reduce UV glare, the dashboard gains additional chrome detailing around the instrument meters, and an extra interior light has been added to the load area. As before, this Toyota comes in a available in a variety of different guises to suit a variety of tastes. The best part is that the importers have resisted the urge to significantly hoist their prices, making the Hiace one of the best value panel vans currently available to UK buyers. The Hiace range continues to offer a generous choice of body styles to suit a wide range of different business needs. The core three-seat panel van is available in both short and long wheelbase versions, with respective Gross Vehicle Weights of 2.8 and 3.0 tonnes. It can be specified with either a rear lift door, or swing-out doors that open to 180 degrees. Short wheelbase payloads range between 1050 to 1060kg depending on the engine choice, whilst long wheelbase model payloads range between 1170 and 1180kg, again, depending on the engine you choose. There's also a bodystyle choice of rear tailgate or twin rear doors with sliding side door.

"â€¦the Hiace remains one of the best value panel vans currently available to UK buyers.â€¦"

Just two versions of the same 2.5-litre D4-D engine are available to power the Hiace. There's a choice of either 94 or 115bhp power outputs and even the lesser of these two is capable of some eye-opening figures. Maximum torque is recorded at 230Nm from 1,400rpm while its bigger brother manages a full 294Nm at 1,600rpm. The 115bhp unit can return a healthy 32.5mpg on the combined cycle and there is no petrol option to complicate matters. Just two versions of the same 2.5-litre D4-D engine are available to power the Hiace. There's a choice of either 94 or 115bhp power outputs and even the lesser of these two is capable of some eye-opening figures. Maximum torque is recorded at 230Nm from 1,400rpm while its bigger brother manages a full 294Nm at 1,600rpm. The 115bhp unit can return a healthy 32.5mpg on the combined cycle and there is no petrol option to complicate matters. The D-4D engines could well be the Hiace's best feature. They're powerful economical and not too rough around the edges, making the van comfortable and enjoyable to drive. The gearbox isn't the most accurate you'll come across. Being of the floor rather than dash-mounted variety, it can make the driver feel further removed from the action but it does its job. The actual driving position in the van is a top notch, much more car-like than in most large commercial vehicles. The steering wheel is angled very vertically, unlike in the majority of the Hiace's contemporaries, and the seat is well designed. Toyota are keen to point out that their Hiace is cheaper to run than competitors like Volkswagen's Transporter and the smaller Ford Transit models - running costs of 11.31 pence per mile shouldn't be enough to break anyone's bank. It's also capable of carrying larger payloads than most other vans of similar size, so you should be able to move more for your money. The overall package is comprehensively underwritten by a 3-year/60,000-mile warranty and service intervals of 20,000 miles are longer than most comparable products on the market. When the big C of cost comes into play, as it must with all sensible business decisions, the Hiace comes into its own. Buyers get a solid van with a very good engine for a very reasonable price. It might not be the most advanced and the interior ambiance might be a little unsophisticated but overall it represents good honest value. The latest revisions have made a significant improvement to the model and you certainly don't have to skimp on quality as much as you might expect when opting for a vehicle from the budget end of the market. We can confidently expect to see Hiace models finding happy homes with buyers for a good few years yet.

Facts At A Glance VAN: Toyota Hiace range ENGINES: 2.5-litre D-4D (94bhp or 115bhp) PAYLOAD: 1,050kg-1,180kg
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: [SWB] (length/width/height) 4795/1800/2000mm