Toyota HiAce 2016 Review

The HiAce is a mainstay of the Medium van scene but its reign is under threat. Available in van, crew van and minibus formats, options span a choice of two wheelbases and two four-cylinder powerplants – a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel or a 2.7-litre petrol. Now with Euro 5 emissions compliance, the fifth-generation HiAce has remained otherwise largely unchanged since it arrived in 2005. The LWB van tested here is powered by the 3.0-litre oiler mated to a four-speed automatic; it's priced from $39,260 (plus on-road costs).

The Toyota HiAce is as much a part of the Australian commercial scene as hi-vis workwear. Toyota's top-selling Medium van held a 35.6 per cent slice of the market at the end of September 2016 (FCAI data), that slice accounting for just under 5500 vehicles. To put that in perspective, Hyundai's iLoad sits in second place with a 28.6 per cent share.
However, while the HiAce reigns supreme, its rule could be starting to wane. The fifth-generation HiAce has changed little since its introduction in 2005, while others have moved on.

In recent years we've seen numerous rivals encroach on the HiAce's territory – model's like Renault's Trafic, Ford's Transit Custom, Volkswagen's Transporter, and the Mercedes-Benz Vito.

Meanwhile the Hyundai iLoad has also trod a 'steady as she goes' path lately – much, we're sure, to Toyota's relief.

So, with all these updated vans to choose from, does the HiAce still deserve its crown? We spent a couple of weeks in the city in a long wheelbase (LWB) turbo-diesel HiAce to find out…

Even just a look at the HiAce hints at part of its appeal. It has a cab-over-engine format – the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel lies underneath the passenger seat and the centre console – that delivers an exceptionally snub-nosed offering. With the front wheels well forward and a rear-drive format, the HiAce has an excellent turning circle, while its sub-two-metre roof height means tight multi-storey carparks are no issue.

That cab-over format does have a flipside, however – the seating is high and the external footplate is forward, meaning access is awkward even with the help of the A-pillar grab handle.

Once behind the wheel, however, things improve. Sure, there's no seat-height adjustment so taller drivers will be looking through the very top of the HiAce's windscreen, but you do get a clear view ahead over the traffic. In fact, all-round vision is good – the A-pillars aren't overly wide, the side mirrors are clear and a reversing camera is standard. The latter's display is small – it's in the rear-view mirror – but it does give good peripheral vision.

While the seat itself is reasonably comfy, even with its limited adjustment, the cockpit in general is looking quite dated. There's little to break up the dark, hard plastic, and cabin storage isn't great. The exception here is the centre console unit, which opens up to reveal a useful storage bin. It has two cupholders and slots for clipboards too, but the twin slide-out cupholder on the centre stack are placed in a far more convenient location.

The vinyl flooring should wear well and our test van was fitted with factory rubber floor mats – well worth the investment.

On the safety front, the HiAce scores antilock brakes, stability control, two airbags, brake assist, an emergency stopping signal and hill-hold assist. A four-star ANCAP rating certainly isn't bad when it comes to LCVs.

Of course, a van might have the most luxurious cab appointments and the most advanced safety features, but it counts for little if it falls down on the commercial front. Toyota doesn't quote a maximum payload for the HiAce but we can tell you the van on test here has a tare wait of 1750kg and a GVM of 2800kg, giving it the ability to handle weights up to the best part of a tonne.

It has a load bay capacity of 6.0 cubic metres, and a low load floor height of 600mm. Our test vehicle's load bay had a bare painted steel floor but protective MDF panelling halfway up its walls and up the top-hinge rear tailgate, while there are two interior lights and six tie-down anchor points.

While the sliding side door opens wide and will accept a standard Australian pallet, but you won't get one in the back – the top-hinge tailgate obstructs forklift access and the distance between the wheelarches is 1130mm (35mm shorter than the wide of a standard Aussie pallet).

One area where the HiAce excels is performance. The turbo-diesel kicks out a very useful 100kW/300Nm, and the low-down and mid-range grunt is excellent. Without a load the rear wheels break traction with relative ease – an issue arrested by the van's traction control.

As part of the HiAce's last update (mid-2016), the diesel engine has joined its 2.7-litre petrol sibling in achieving Euro 5 emissions compliance, thanks in part to a diesel particulate filter. Of more interest to HiAce buyers, however, is Toyota's claim of better fuel economy for the diesel vans – an improvement of up to 4.6 per cent (official urban cycle), it says.

We didn't cart a load on this occasion – we've done that enough times to know just how proficient the HiAce is at hauling some weight – but we achieved a figure of 10.8L/100km around town. Toyota quotes an urban figure of 10.6, which seems pretty well on the mark.

On the go the engine is punchy and responsive, the HiAce also accelerating briskly from a standing start. It is noisy, however – the volume of the stereo (AM/FM, Bluetooth streaming, CD) needs to be turned right up to hear music or use the hands-free phone at highway speed.

Our test vehicle features a four-speed automatic transmission, which shifts cleanly and logically. A six-speed auto is available with the petrol engine. The shifter is well within reach on the dash, with the archaic twist-and-release hand-operated park brake just below. When did you last see one of those?

The suspension – independent wishbones up front and leaf springs down the back – does a surprisingly good job even when empty (once again, past tests have shown it smooths right out with a few hundred kilos in the back).

The HiAce displays only a little body roll through the bends and the neutral, well-assisted steering requires a light touch – just want you want for navigating tight city parking spots.

The brakes hold up their end of the bargain too, offering an entirely satisfactory level of power and feel for the intended usage.

As a part of this review we also looked at a HiAce Crew. With a clean-shifting five-speed manual mated to the same diesel engine, the Crew gets a second row of seating that, when in place, shaves roughly a metre from the length of the load bay. The seating can also be folded forward to add to the load bay when required.

Of course, a major drawcard in purchasing any HiAce is the peace of mind that comes with Toyota's after-sales support. The HiAce comes with a three-year/ 100,000km factory warranty with roadside assist and three-years of capped-price servicing. Service intervals are pegged at 10,000km.

Toyota offers a wide range of factory accessories for the HiAce, and of course there are any number of aftermarket specialists out there willing to fit custom racking as required.
The cab access and dated interior aside, there's very little to criticise in Toyota's HiAce.

Yes, it's basically a 13-year-old design, but there's a flipside to that – it's a robust, reliable and proven package, too.

Is this model still worth the asking price given its fresh-faced competition? That's a tricky one, and for fleets their greater buying power certainly plays a big role. Viewed purely as a tool to get a job done, it's difficult to argue with the HiAce's credentials, but from behind the wheel we'd certainly welcome a few more creature comforts.

2016 Toyota HiAce LWB van pricing and specifications:
Price: $39,260 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 100kW/300Nm
Transmission: Four-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 227g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Four-star ANCAP

Also consider:
>> Hyundai iLoad (from $37,011 drive away)
>> Ford Transit Custom (from $42,716 drive away)
>> Renault Trafic (from $32,990 plus drive away)