The Toyota Hiace is one of the mainstays of the medium size vans and available in minibus, crew van and simple vans formats. It has an option of two four-cylinder engine and two wheelbases which is a 2.7 liter petrol and 3.0 liter turbo engine. The test drive of Toyoa Hiace 2016 reveals that the engine of the vehicle does not changed really since it first arrived in 2005 in fifth generation.
Competitors of Hiace
In the past years we have seen a number of competitors of Toyota Hiace however, no one stands well against Hiace. The main competitors of Toyota Hiace are Ford’s Transit Custom, the Mercedes-Benz Vito, Volkswagen’s Transporter and Renault’s Trafic. Toyota Hiace 2016 is one of the most successful and popular model features with lots of new features and technology that helps in driving and provide better handling.
Engine Specifications
The vehicle has a cab-over layout with 3.0 liter turbo diesel engine under the passenger seat near centre console. Since Toyota featured Hiace with front wheels nicely forward with a rear drive, it provide excellent turning circle.
Pros & Cons
The drawback in the driver seat is that it is not adjustable so the tall drivers has to look through the top of the windscreen while drive, however it gives you a clear view of the road and other cars. On the other hand everything is improved behind the wheel. The interior plastic is much hard also the cabin storage space is not that huge.
The all round vision from windscreen is pretty good, the A pillars are not excessively wide, the reversing camera is standard and also has a clear side mirrors.
Interior of the Van
The seats are reasonably comfortable with soft upholstery, even though the vehicle comes with restricted adjustment; Hiace cockpit on the whole is pretty dated. The centre console is exceptional here, it opens up that gives a useful storage for keeping small things or gadgets. The Toyota Hiace has slots for two cup holder and clipboards as well. The slide out double cupholder is placed at much more convenient location.
Safety Features
The Toyota Hiace 2016 comes with anti-lock brakes system, two front airbags, stability control system, hill-hold assist and emergency stopping signal as well. Moreover, the vehicle scores straight four out of five stars in ANCAP rating test which clearly isn’t bad rating in Vans class.