Toyota DYNA VAN range
By Neil Hopkins
Toyotas Dyna might just blow the whistle on the competition by combining spacious cab design, rugged mechanicals and a pedigree stretching back to the 1970s. With a Gross Vehicle Weight of up to 3.5-tonnes and a payload of up to 1.5-tonnes, it could be suggested that the Japanese are tapping into a goldmine colonised by urban hauliers, builders and landscapers people who need fast, easy access to bulky loads.
Youll never award the Dyna any prizes for great beauty. Like the geeky, bespectacled girl your classmates sympathy dated, the only looks the Dyna is likely to garner are ones of pity for its awkward profile, bluff lines and seemingly front heavy posture. Youd never give it front of house duties, but behind the scenes is where the Dyna should count. On paper, the truck stacks up well: plenty of live RandD, rigid construction and the addition of the brand new, state of the art common rail 2.5-litre D-4D engines. But commercial vehicles arent driven on paper The Dyna is aimed at quite a specialised sector of the market. As a dropside truck or in tipper form it is ideally suited to the movement of large, heavy objects that would be impractical to load into any other vehicle.
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You wouldnt carry a tonne of sand, 4,000 breeze blocks or a selection of potted trees in a panel van. With a Dyna, you can load and unload using a
mini crane or even a forklift. As far as the range goes, the short and medium wheelbases can be supplied with a tipper back instead of the dropside so in theory they will attract customers who need something other than a mobile sand pit. Now that weve established the arena in which the Dyna will fight, lets move onto the practicalities.
"On paper, the truck stacks up well: plenty of live RandD, rigid construction and the addition of the brand new, state of the art 2.5-litre D-4D engines"
The range consists of three vehicles, the 3-tonne GVW 300, and two 3.5-tonne GVW 350s one of which is a 2545mm wheelbase and the other a 3350mm version. There is only a single cab offered and the engine range is comprised of an 88bhp and a 102bhp 2.5-litre intercooled turbo diesel the much vaunted D-4D engine, variations of which crop up right across the
Toyota spectrum.
The maximum torque figures are achieved at a usefully low level the 88bhp unit can manage 142lb.ft at 1,200 3,000rpm and its 102bhp sibling can produce 192lb. ft at 1,400 2,600rpm. With the torque situated in the lower part of the rev band, youll find that pulling away with a heavy load is no problem and that you should be able to get up to speed quite comfortably.
Once on the move, the D-4Ds should produce respectable fuel economies, although at the time of writing the official figures have not been released. Sensible use of the 5-speed gearbox to keep the revs down will also aid your diesel bills. The D-4D range boasts low emissions, instantly starting and low operating noise in addition to long major service intervals (20,000 miles), all of which is meant to significantly reduce the costs of ownership. Passenger cars have been relishing the D-4Ds for quite some time now, and the signs are that commercial users will be doing the same.
ABS and speed sensitive power steering make the standard equipment list, as does a fully adjustable steering column, drivers airbag, rake adjust and sliding drivers
seat and three-point pretensioned seatbelts for driver and passenger. Should you be carrying a third passenger, they will have to make do with a two-point lap belt. Still, theres just enough space between the seat and the dashboard to preserve most of their pretty looks in the event of a smash While we are on the subject of accidents, the Dyna features a stiffened cabin structure and side impact protection beams to absorb the worst of any impact and a drivers airbag to make a nice cushion. A fully laden Dyna can carry 1,300kg or 1,500kg, depending on which variant you opt for.
Toyota are hoping that it is in their Dynas D-4D heart that most of the points will be scored over the opposition. Certainly these engines offer added refinement, potentially greater economy and longer service intervals than the direct competition. In other areas, the Dyna performs less impressively and struggles to trump rivals its still capable and the powerplant will continue to win sales.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
VAN: Toyota Dyna Range
PRICES: £11,695 - £16,995 (ex. VAT)
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Drivers Airbag, Side Impact Protection
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