Best Motorbuys: August 30, 2019

By Ross Kiddie
Toyota Hiace
f you are a courier driver in Christchurch,
the chances are you are probably driving a
IToyota Hiace van.
I can say that with absolute confidence,
for several years Star Media was located
opposite a courier company and there was
a constant succession of Hiaces arriving
and departing.
Sure, there was the occasional Ford Transit,
but Toyota has captured that market well
and if you take into account the number
of Hiaces that are used by tradies and
companies, New Zealand has been a
lucrative market for Toyota.
For those who like the square, boxy shape
of Hiace, don’t be disappointed, there’s no
sign of it ending its lifecycle anytime soon.
However, there’s also a new Hiace on the
market, and the two will dovetail in the light
commercial segment.
The new van is quite a departure from
what we see as the traditional Hiace, its
nose protrudes from the front, housing the
engine which sits forward and under the
windscreen line.
However, don’t be fooled, the engine still
sits longitudinally and drives through the
rear wheels, Toyota haven’t yet been lured
into making the Hiace front-wheel-drive like
some of its rivals.
The newcomer arrives here in five variations,
four of those are ZR specification, panel
and glass vans, and a 10-seat mini bus.
There’s also a long-wheelbase ZX variant.
This evaluation encompasses the ZR glass
van and the jumbo ZX, the latter is simply
enormous at almost 6m, and although it
was a single side door model only, those
landing from September will have twin
sliders, one on each side. The ZX’s cargo
carrying space is massive, it’s a monster
in terms of presence, it won’t fit into a
standard car park space, and every time
you are leaving the vehicle you need to be
conscious of how much of the planet you
are claiming. I took the ZX into the New
World supermarket car park in Wigram and
had to use four parks so that it wouldn’t
block any access ways.
The ZR on the other hand, is a lot more
manageable; at 5.2m it’s not quite so selfish,
but the benefit of both variants is that the
load space is cavernous.
Generally I’ve been pretty lucky having load
bearing vehicles coinciding with items that
have needed to be transported. During my
time with both Hiaces, I managed to use
them both for carrying duties – green waste
to the recycling centre and an unexpected
shopping expedition where my wife and I
bought several bulky items of furniture, the
latter devoured easily in the ZX.
Apart from its voluminous cargo carrying
space – 6200-litres (ZR) and 9300-litres
(ZX) - the new Hiace stands out for its
comparative high comfort levels, once
you’re in either of the two front seats,
bearing in mind it is a bit of climb up,
support and cushioning is in abundance.
One of the benefits of the engine sitting
forward is the amount of in-cabin space
and quiet operating manner, while cargo
containing mesh sits directly behind the
seats there are plenty of knick-knack trays,
drink holders and pockets for all those
essentials that the business operator would
need in his/her daily travels.
Along with a new look, the new Hiace
also gets a new engine. It’s the 2.8-litre
four-cylinder turbocharged diesel that
first found its way here in Hilux three or
four years ago. It stands out for its power,
efficiency and smooth operation. A lot of
the latter is attributed to its positioning
out of the cabin proper, it must be said
refinement in the new Hiace is remarkable.
Power is rated at 130kW and 450Nm, it
needs those healthy outputs, even empty
the Hiace is tubby at 2235kg (ZR) and
Price: Toyota Hiace ZR, $44,990
(ZX, $50,990)
Dimensions: Length, 5265mm
(5915mm); width, 1950mm;
height, 1990mm (2280mm)
Configuration: Four-cylinder,
rear-wheel-drive, 2755cc, 130kW,
450Nm, six-speed manual or
automatic
Performance: 0-100km/h, 10.1sec
Fuel usage: 7.5l/100km (8.4l/100km)
2305kg (ZX), but I’m sure that with a load
on there will be plenty of power for all
applications.
On the subject of figures, one of the most
important to any owner/operator will be
that of fuel usage. From my experience of
this power plant in the Hilux it is a bit of
a fuel miser. Toyota claims a 7.5-litre per
100km (38mpg) combined cycle average
for the ZR in manual form, as tested. The ZX
automatic is listed at 8.4l/100km (34mpg)
which I would expect to be quite achievable
depending on driving style.
Yes, it must also be remembered that sixspeed
manual and automatic transmission
options are still offered in the Hiace range,
the ZR was a manual, and for those who like
manuals I can safely report it is a beauty
with slick shifts and clutch action that is
absolutely beautiful.
The Hiace can’t be regarded as a dynamic
handling vehicle, sure it’s ability in a corner
is satisfactory, but you do need to be
mindful the live axle rear suspension isn’t
set-up for speed, and with its height of just
below and above 2m in both cases, there is
a lot of gravitational transition.
Nevertheless, it’s fair to say steerage is
informative, the driver is always aware of
the nuances driving a van creates. Those
who will do long journeys each day won’t
be tasked, the Hiace has dignity and
consequence ease of use.
It must also be said the new model has a
five-star Australasian New Car Assessment
Program safety rating. That’s mega in this
part of the market, and is a tribute to the
engineers who have created a model to
such a high safety standard.
When I eventually retire from the publishing
industry and need a part-time job to help
pay the bills and to keep fit, I could look at
delivering parcels on a day-to-day basis, I’d
be happy to do that in a Hiace.
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