Toyota Professional is a relatively recent division of the Japanese brand, particularly in Europe. LCVs arrived in the mid-2010s thanks to a partnership with what was then PSA, leading to the creation of the Toyota Proace and Toyota Proace City models, along with their passenger transport versions, the Proace Verso and Proace City Verso. Today, the partnership has been renewed, now with Stellantis, allowing the lineup to expand with the Toyota Proace Max, the highlight of this review.
The Toyota Professional lineup also includes the Toyota Hilux, a completely unique project. In 2024, the Hilux will feature an electrified engine with 48-volt mild hybrid technology, improving performance, particularly off-road. However, this review will focus on the Proace range, which differentiates itself from its Stellantis counterparts by offering Toyota’s unique services, such as extended warranties and financing options through Kinto.
Toyota Proace Max: our tops & flops
The Toyota Proace Max shares all its specifications with its cousin, the Fiat Ducato, which we tested a few months ago in Frankfurt. However, there are several reasons to prefer it, starting with the reliability of the Toyota brand. Like the entire range, the Proace Max comes with attractive financing and leasing offers, extended warranty, and 24/7 roadside assistance throughout the year. Additionally, the new Toyota Professional Centers across Europe will help the brand establish itself in the fastest-growing segment, that of LCVs.
What we like:
- Overall practicality
- Good battery management
- Excellent cargo volume
What we don’t like:
- The quality of the rearview camera could be improved
- Limited seat adjustment
- Regenerative braking adjustment is not intuitive
Toyota Professional Services
Although the Proace models are Stellantis projects, Toyota plays a role in their development. The company sends some of its own engineers to the production lines to ensure that these products meet Toyota’s quality standards—neither better nor worse, but simply different from Stellantis’ standards.
Toyota offers a comprehensive package for optimal fleet management. For example, customers who opt for an electric Proace—each model is available in a battery-powered variant—benefit from an 8-year or 160,000 km warranty. For diesel models, the warranty is 3 years or 100,000 km.
In addition, Toyota offers the “Relax Plus” package, which extends the warranty to a maximum of 15 years or 250,000 km. After the new vehicle warranty expires, Toyota provides an additional year or 15,000 km of coverage every time the vehicle is serviced at an authorized Toyota workshop. This warranty extension is accompanied by 24/7 roadside assistance for 365 days a year.
Moreover, if a vehicle cannot be used due to maintenance, Toyota offers a replacement vehicle upon request. This replacement vehicle can be booked in advance and is available for early morning or late evening pickup, even on Saturdays.
Toyota’s “Speed Service” reduces downtime by assigning two technicians to a vehicle, and dedicating a specific service area for LCVs to double the speed of routine maintenance.
Kinto products and customer experience
The Proace models are also paired with Kinto products for financing, insurance, leasing, and rental. Customers can create tailored contracts for any vehicle in the Toyota Professional range, thanks to Kinto, Toyota’s European mobility business, as well as Toyota Insurance Services and Toyota Financial Services.
Toyota has also embraced the growing importance of LCVs in the market, introducing a new sales concept for its lineup through Toyota Professional Centers.
Toyota Proace Max: the best moment
The Toyota Proace Max, a cousin of the Fiat Ducato, has arrived just in time. Previewed at the 2023 Kenshiki Forum, the Proace Max will be available by the end of 2024, a year when heavy-duty vans (HDVs) are expected to surpass compact vans in sales volume.
Although customization options for the Proace Max are somewhat limited compared to the Proace and Proace City, Toyota is gathering feedback to further differentiate it from its Stellantis counterparts. Despite this, the Proace Max remains a comfortable and technologically advanced vehicle. It is available with three diesel options—2.2-liter engines producing 120, 140, and 180 hp, the latter also available with an automatic transmission—or in an all-electric version. The most powerful electric variant offers 272 hp, a 110 kWh battery, and a claimed range of 420 km. The electric model comes with 150 kW DC charging capabilities, enabling an 80% charge in 55 minutes.
The electric Proace Max is only available in the L3H3 configuration, with a length of 5.99 meters, a wheelbase of 4 meters, and a height of 2.52 meters, necessary to accommodate the battery. Other configurations range from L2 to L4 and H1 to H3, and there are four body types: Van, Chassis, Dropside, and Tipper. Toyota is also working on offering specific configuration options to cater to customer needs.
The Proace Max offers up to 17 cubic meters of cargo space, making it one of the best in its category. It features a distinctive trapezoidal grille and dynamic LED headlights.
The electric version comes fully equipped with advanced safety systems and a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The steering wheel is soft and comfortable to grip, and the dashboard has a design reminiscent of a car’s interior.
The diesel Proace Max is produced in Atessa, Italy, while the electric version is manufactured in Gliwice, Poland.
The rest of the family
Both the Proace and Proace City models have also been updated with new designs and improved features. Stellantis has allowed Toyota to differentiate the aesthetics of its LCVs from those of other brands.
The Proace Electric now offers 20 km more range, reaching 350 km, while maintaining a load capacity of up to 6.6 cubic meters and a payload of up to 1,400 kg. The Proace City Electric gains 50 km of range, now reaching 330 km. Both are produced by Stellantis in Sevelnord, France, and Vigo, Spain.
