Selwyn Times: October 02, 2019

44 Wednesday October 2 2019
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
SELWYN TIMES
Haul those bulky loads in a Toyota Hiace
Motoring
Ross Kiddie
IF YOU ARE a courier driver in
Canterbury, the chances are you
are probably driving a Toyota
Hiace van.
Sure, there are many other vans
that are in use for that purpose,
but Toyota has captured that
market well and if you take into
account the number 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-wheeldrive
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.
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
supermarket car park 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.
TOYOTA HIACE: Short or long-wheelbase models.
Apart from its voluminous tubby at 2235kg (ZR) and 2305kg
cargo carrying space – 6200-litres (ZX), but I’m sure that with a load
(ZR) and 9300-litres (ZX) - the on there will be plenty of power
new Hiace stands out for its comparative
high comfort levels, once On the subject of figures, one
for all applications.
you’re in either of the two front of the most important to any
seats, bearing in mind it is a bit of owner/operator will be that of
climb up, support and cushioning
is in abundance. There are of this power plant in the Hilux
fuel usage. From my experience
also plenty of knick-knack trays, it is a bit of a fuel miser. Toyota
drink holders and pockets for all claims a 7.5-litre per 100km
those essentials that the business (38mpg) combined cycle average
operator would need in his/her for the ZR in manual form, as
daily travels.
tested. The ZX automatic is listed
Along with a new look, the at 8.4l/100km (34mpg) which I
new Hiace also gets a new engine. would expect to be quite achievable
depending on driving style.
It’s the 2.8-litre four-cylinder
turbocharged diesel that first Yes, it must also be remembered
that six-speed manual and
found its way here in Hilux three
or four years ago. It stands out for automatic transmission options
its power, efficiency and smooth are still offered in the Hiace
operation. A lot of the latter is range, the ZR was a manual, and
attributed to its positioning out of for those who like manuals I can
the cabin proper, it must be said safely report it is a beauty with
refinement in the new Hiace is slick shifts and clutch action that
remarkable.
is absolutely beautiful.
Power is rated at 130kW and I took both test vehicles west
450Nm, it needs those healthy using much the same routes each
outputs, even empty the Hiace is time, on the long straight roads
• Price – Toyota Hiace ZR,
$44,990 (ZX, $50,990)
• Dimensions – Length,
5265mm (5915mm); width,
1950mm; height, 1990mm
(2280mm)
• Configuration – Fourcylinder,
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)
to Hororata and home through
Dunsandel and Lincoln. 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.