Toyota Hiace (2007 – 2012) Review
Toyota Hiace (2007 – 2012) At A Glance
Throughout its history, the Toyota Hiace has been a dependable, reliable business tool for many. It may lack some of the styling flair and dynamic ability of certain rivals, but it’s very good at transporting people and goods with minimum fuss.
This 2007 model Hiace wasn't strictly all-new, rather it was a heavily revised and restyled version of the van that had been on sale in the UK since 2001. There were plenty of changes though not least a much bolder look with big headlights plus big improvements to cabin comfort.
New features included a redesigned four-spoke steering wheel, giving a more car-like feel, plus a silver finish to the central instrument cluster. More contemporary seat fabrics were introduced along with a premium audio line up, including a standard audio system with CD player that can play MP3 files stored on disc. For the first time the Hiace was also available with the option of DVD full-map touchscreen satellite navigation.
Under the bonnet, Toyota upgraded the 2.5-litre D-4D common rail diesel engine, giving stronger performance, better fuel efficiency and improved emissions. Power from the entry-level engine increased to 95PS with torque boosted from 192Nm to 230Nm.
There's plenty of choice with both short and long wheelbase version of the standard panel van, with respective gross vehicle weights of 2.8 and 3.0 tonnes. The Hiace can also be specified with either a rear lift door, or swing-out doors that open to 180 degrees. The short wheelbase model is designed to offer enough space to carry two Euro pallets, having a load length of 2335mm. On long wheelbase versions, this measurement increases to 2780mm.
A final flourish for the Hiace took place in 2009 when air conditioning became standard across all models. This makes a later Hiace a good bet for anyone who spends time stuck in sticky, hot city streets on a regular basis. The same update also brought new cloth upholstery for the seats, electric windows and more sound-proofing for the cabin to tackle that lingering niggle of a noisy cab. There was also an extra interior light for the load area. The Hiace went off sale in the UK in 2012 and was replaced with the Toyota ProAce - essentially a rebadged version of the Citroen Dispatch and Peugeot Expert.