Toyota Proace City van review

The Toyota Proace City is automotive proof that teamwork makes the dream work. It’s pretty much identical to the Citroën Berlingo, the Peugeot Partner and the Vauxhall Combo Cargo, which were jointly developed by Stellantis and are all pretty well established and trusted small vans in their own right. 

However, Toyota has gone its own way when it comes to engines. While each of the Stellantis trio is available with petrol power, Toyota offers a choice of only diesel or pure electric motivation. If you’re keen to take the zero emissions route, take a look at our full review of the Toyota Proace City Electric. 

Here, though, we’re sticking with the diesel version, which offers two versions of a 1.5-litre engine, producing 99bhp and 128bhp. So equipped, we think it's among the best small vans on the market.

A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, with an eight-speed automatic gearbox optional on the more powerful model – so that could be the one to go for if you’re a delivery driver who spends a lot of time in stop-go traffic. Better still, the engine meets Euro-6.2 emissions levels without a pesky AdBlue tank to keep topping up

The Proace City is available in two lengths – 4408mm and 4753mm. The shorter of the two has a load volume of 3.8 cubic metres, while the larger offers 4.4 cubic metres. There’s only one roof-height available, though.

Buyers have a choice of three trim levels, starting with Active and ascending through Icon on the way to bells-and-whistles Design trim.

It’s fair to say that the Proace City has its work cut out, because it competes against not only the Stellantis vans, but also the Ford Transit Connect, the Renault Kangoo and the VW Caddy. It’s just as well Toyota provides a warranty that can stretch for up to 10 years or 100,000 miles (as long as an official dealer does its servicing).

Read more: How we test vans

The 1.5-litre engine in the Toyota Proace City may be small in capacity, but it is refined, quiet and eager in its performance.

Of the two power ratings available – 74bhp and 98bhp – we’d recommend the higher output as it gives you more flexibility when carrying heavier loads. Both pull well, with early availability of torque, but it’s in the mid-to-high rev range where the more powerful unit performs better.

A five-speed manual gearbox is the only choice for both engines, its gearing being better matched with the more powerful engine, especially when travelling at higher speeds. It doesn’t have the nicest of shift actions, but it’s acceptable.

For a city van, though, the option of an automatic would be a welcome addition, especially as the eight-speed auto available on the Citroën Berlingo, the Peugeot Partner and the Vauxhall Combo Cargo is one of the best examples of a two-pedal transmission in the small van segment, and is ideally suited to the vans that offer it.

The Proace City does stand out, however, for delivering a settled ride that is on the soft side in comparison with many vans, but that is matched with sharp handling that helps to confirm that this little city van shares DNA with some of Peugeot and Citroën’s best new vehicles.

The Toyota Proace City get a spacious interior, with 15 storage compartments ranging from places to put coins through to compartments large enough to store a bulky item like a laptop. There’s an under-seat pull-out tray, as well as a fold-down table on the three-seater versions.

Both trim levels come with overhead storage as standard along with an air-cooled glovebox. However, it is worth noting that entry-level Active vans get open storage compartments in the dash, while the Icon gets covered storage.

Other standard items include air-conditioning, automatic headlights, heated electric door mirrors, one-touch windows, twin sliding side doors and 180 degree opening rear doors. There’s also a DAB radio with USB and Bluetooth, a rubber-lining for the load bay floor and a full-metal bulkhead – rather than a metal grate or half height bulkhead and mesh found in many small vans.

It’s a generous specification for the standard van but there is one noticeable difference between the two trim levels that is worth considering. Only Icon gets an 8in colour display with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay with Active vans instead getting a basic monochrome display, as well as missing out on the steering wheel-mounted controls.

We’d certainly recommend Icon: it delivers more usability and a much better interior look and will be a much more desirable model when it comes to resale.

The part-car, part-van design of the Toyota Proace City means that it is exceptionally adept at combining the comfortable with the practical.

There are two body lengths, Short and Long. Optional is a Smart Cargo system that provides a hatch in the bulkhead and enables the front passenger seat to be folded downwards, allowing certain kinds of load to run nearly the entire length of the van.

The overall length is 4403mm for the Short van and 4753mm for the Long models, providing a floor load length of 1817mm and 2167mm, respectively. The Smart Cargo system increases that to 3090mm for the Short van and 3440mm for the Long van. Load volume width is 1527mm at its widest and 1229mm between the wheel arches, with a load height of 1270mm.

That gives a maximum load volume of 3.3m³ for the Short van and 3.9m³ for the Long van, allowing space for two Euro pallets in the rear. Rear loading height anges from 547mm to 625mm depending on specification, while the side doors have a 1072mm height aperture and a 641mm width at the narrowest point due to the slight incursion of the bulkhead.

Payloads range from 650kg to 1000kg depending on the gross vehicle weight that you choose; there are 2-tonne and 2.4-tonne options available.

There are six load lashing points in the rear, and all vans come with a rubber floor covering as standard. Ply-lining for the sides and doors is available as an option.

Toyota has a reputation for reliability, but the Proace City is technically not a Toyota product in the same way a Toyota Hilux pick-up truck is. That doesn’t, however, stop the brand from putting an impressive five-year/100,000 miles warranty on the van.

That’s especially impressive given that the same van from Citroën, Peugeot and Vauxhall comes with a three-year/60,000 mile warranty. Clearly, Toyota backs both its partners and the quality of the product on offer.

Standard specification, even on the entry-level Active vans, is also very high, and in comparison to its siblings the two-tier trim range offers more value for your money, especially if you choose the more expensive Icon.

The Icon is definitely the version we would recommend due to its more modern infotainment screen, along with the more powerful 98bhp engine option it offers, which gives a more relaxed drive at higher speeds. The more powerful engine also performs marginally better on fuel economy, with a claimed consumption of just over 65mpg; the 74bhp unit falls just shy of that mark.

Safety features include the mandatory ABS and stability control as well as hill start assistance and an emergency calling function. A tyre-pressure warning system is standard, which is upgraded to a more advanced monitoring system on the Icon trim. Other Icon specific additions include an adjustable speed limiter, cruise control and an electronic parking brake.

The optional Safety Sense pack adds a pre-collision system, road-sign recognition, lane-departure warning and a driver fatigue alert system.

However, the PSA Group vans are offered with a healthy amount of additional options, including enhanced grip functions, blind-spot detection and even an onboard weighing system. The Proace City’s list of extras is much more limited.

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About the author

George Barrow is one of the leading van and truck reviewers, and is the UK’s only representative on the prestigious International Van of the Year jury. He has written about vans and commercial vehicles for the past 15 years, and can be found in titles including The Sun and What Van?, alongside What Car?.

Barrow is well regarded in the commercial vehicle industry, securing access to the latest models – and the people who made them – long before other titles.