Ten Second Review

Toyota has used its LCV partnership with Stellantis to bring us this model, the Proace Verso EV. A full-electric, it's a really sensible family or business choice if you need an MPV with room for up to nine people.

Background

If you're in search of a really big full-electric MPV these days, you'll need a big cheque book. Think over £60,000 for a Ford E-Tourneo Custom. And nearly £90,000 for a Mercedes EQV. Toyota though, wants to suggest a more sensible option. For well under £50,000, the company's Proace Verso EV looks much more accessible.

The Proace Verso, based on the brand's Proace mid-size van, has been around since 2016, when its arrival marked Toyota's return to the large MPV segment, a market sector it'd been absent from since the demise of the Previa back in 2007. But to date we've only had this vehicle in diesel form. That black pump-fuelled model's now been replaced by this full-EV variant. As before, it's Toyota's version of the Stellantis Group design also sold as the Peugeot E-Traveller, the Citroen e-SpaceTourer and the Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric.

Design and Build

There are two Proace Verso EV body sizes - L1 'Medium' (4,959mm) and L2 'Long' (5,309mm). Either way, you're going to need a very big garage. It's worth noting that the Proace Verso's height of 1.90m is low enough to guarantee entry into covered car parks - a relatively rare attribute in this segment.

The L1 version is offered in 'Icon' and 'Design' trims with eight seats: a single front passenger seat and three individual seats in the second and third rows. The 'Icon' L2 nine-seat version has three seats in each row - a single seat and a two-seat bench. The 'Design' and 'Design Premium' L2 models have eight seats, while the luxurious 'Excel' model has a seven-seat configuration that offers more spacious second row accommodation with two individual captain's seats and a lounge table. Rear seats can be folded or forward-tilted and individual rail-mounted seats can be removed to create more interior space.

As for front-of-cabin design, well this model's frontal design firmly identifies it as a modern Toyota. Inside, The dashboard design features clear, analogue dials and ergonomic switchgear and there's excellent all-round visibility from the elevated, SUV-like driving position. Families will appreciate the wealth of storage points around the cabin, including door boxes, dashboard and sliding door cubbies, and cupholders, with a combined capacity of 58.5 litres.

All variants get three seats in the middle row and they slide forward and back in a 60:40-split, plus the seat backs recline. Getting into the very back requires you to push the seat base forward, then retract the seat back forward. The van-based approach really pays dividends here, in terms of both leg and headroom.

And luggage space? Well even with all the three seating rows upright, there's quite a lot of luggage space (in the 'Medium'-length L1 model, between 603 and 798-litres, depending on the positioning of the 3rd row chairs). You push the 3rd row seats forward by pulling on two red tabs. And fold the seat backs using black levers; do that in the L1 'Medium'-length model and you can increase your luggage capacity to as much as 1,000-litres; or 1,750-litres with the second row seat backs folded too. Take out the second and third row seats entirely and your Proace Verso could conceivably function as some kind of small removal van; in the lengthiest L2 'Long'-spec model, as much as 4,900-litres of space could be freed up if you only retained the front two chairs.

Cost of Ownership

Because the Proace Verso EV supports up to 100kW rapid charging technology, a 10-80 per cent DC charge will take around 45 minutes. This EV People Carrier also features a 7.4kW on-board charger. A full charge from a 7.4kW domestic wallbox takes around 11 hours 20 minutes. With the alternative 11kW wallbox, you can reduce that to seven and a half hours. For peace of mind, the lithium-ion battery pack in this model comes with an eight year/100,000 mile warranty, for up to 70% of the initial battery capacity. A key ownership attribute over this model's Vauxhall, Peugeot and Citroen design stablemates is the fact that Toyota offers a 10 year warranty, provided you keep the vehicle serviced at a franchised dealer.

To get close to the quoted 214 mile range figure, you'll need to engage 'Eco' mode frequently - which reduces power output to 80hp. To maximise range, you'll also need to regularly engage the fiercest of the regenerative braking settings, activated by steering wheel paddles. Owners can set up deferred charging or to pre-condition the vehicle via a dedicated mobile app on their smartphone. This app also allows drivers to initiate or schedule thermal preconditioning and view, schedule, start or deferred charging remotely.

Driving Experience

Toyota is offering the 75kWh battery pack that you can also get with the same basic design badged as the Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric, the Citroen e-SpaceTourer or the Peugeot E-Traveller. Which means you get much the same sort of range as is quoted with those models - here rated at 214 miles. Not massive, but if you're planning to use this Proace Verso for merely suburban duties, that might not matter. As with its Stellantis Group cousins, the powertrain is based around comprises a 134bhp electric motor and its associated lithium-ion battery is located beneath the vehicle floor, thus avoiding loss of cabin space.

The driver can select Eco, Normal or Power driving mode using a centre console-mounted switch. In Power mode, maximum output delivers peak torque of 260Nm from start-up. Top speed is electronically limited to 84mph and 0-62mph acceleration can be accomplished in 12.1 seconds. In Eco mode output is reduced to 81bhp with 190Nm of torque, while in Normal mode the electric system produces 107bhp with 210Nm. Through the corners, as you would expect, there's plenty of body roll if, rather unwisely, you start throwing the thing about. If you can ignore both that and the slightly vague steering and find yourself absolutely having to push on, you'll find that there's reasonable grip and traction. The turning circle is pretty tight too - at just 11.3 metres - making this a surprisingly manoeuvrable vehicle for use around town.

Market and Model

From launch, this Proace Verso EV was available at on-the-road prices of around £46,000 for the medium length eight-seat L1 version; it's around £700 more for the L2 long-body nine-seat model. There are four trim levels - 'Icon', 'Design', 'Design Premium' and 'Excel' (the latter with a seven-seat format). Prices rise up to around £56,000.

Key features of the 'Icon' grade include a 10-inch multimedia display with navigation, a 10-inch colour multi-information display, smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, a heated driver's seat, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, rear parking sensors and auto-retracting door mirrors.

The mid-level 'Design' grade highlights are smart entry and push-button start, a fully carpeted floor, automatic air conditioning, a wireless phone charger, a Skyview panoramic roof, front parking sensors, 'Flankguard' side sensors, seatback folding tables and 17-inch alloy wheels.

The premium specification for the top 'Excel' model introduces power-sliding side doors with a kick-sensor, leather upholstery, 90% 'limo' rear privacy glass, a heated front passenger seat, power driver's seat adjustment with memory setting, a front seat massage function, a reversing camera, a 180-degree camera and a 10-speaker audio system.

Summary

We always thought the diesel-powered Proace Verso offered a lot of family car for the money - and you could say the same for this EV version. If you can live with the range figure from the 75kWh battery, then there's plenty to like here, assuming the deal you're offered is as good or better than the equivalent Vauxhall, Peugeot Citroen version of this model. Particularly as this Toyota comes with a much longer warranty.

This then, is the 7-to-9-seater family car you properly never considered. But possibly should.