Toyota Proace Max Electric van review (2024)

• One simple power output
• Decent turning circle
• Good ride and urban manoeuvrability

A new face and a Toyota badge doesn’t hide the fact that the Proace Max is getting on a bit, and this is most apparent from how it drives. The steering is a little light and vague, the ride a bit bouncy at times and the cabin is a little less insulated from outside noise than some of its more modern contemporaries.

However, these are not really reasons on their own to avoid the Proace Max – there is a reason that the various Stellantis vans have kept churning out versions of this van. It’s perfectly fine, it just doesn’t feel as sophisticated as many of its rivals.

There is just the one battery and motor combination in the Proace Max, and it suits it well. The battery is a 110kWh unit, which is only bettered by the one in the Mercedes eSprinter. This is linked to a 272hp motor that gives 410Nm of torque.

This means that there is a good amount of responsiveness at lower speeds and for nipping past slower traffic. To aid this, there are three driving modes – Eco, Normal and Power. The former dials back the amount of power you can make use of to 163hp, as well as reducing the performance of the climate systems.

Normal gives you 218hp while Power lets you have the full 272hp. You can also play around with the levels of regenerative braking by using the paddles behind the steering wheel, with four levels to choose from. I suspect that only the most dedicated of drivers will apply themselves and tweak the settings on a regular basis, particularly given the 261-mile electric range that means most journeys will be done with plenty of juice still in the battery.

• Basic design
• Good space
• Standard-fit screen

The Toyota Proace Max’s cabin is, as the rest of the Stellantis large vans are, functional and basic first and foremost. There aren’t many clever tricks, but you do get the 10-inch touchscreen as standard, whereas you don’t on the more basic versions of the other brand’s large vans.

This lends the cabin a slightly more sophisticated and high-tech look, as several of the controls are tucked away in the screen – the heated seat controls are accessed through the screen rather than via a physical button for example. There are still some buttons and dials, though, with the fundamentals of the climate control and the volume all adjusted manually rather than through the infotainment, which is a bonus for those who want to tweak either on the move or with gloves on.

Keyless start stop is also a feature, which is standard practice in an electric van. Something that isn’t always offered, though, is the dial for selecting Park, Reverse or Drive or the automatic parking brake. The existence of both frees up more room on the dash and in the space where a middle-seat passenger’s knees go, which is a bonus.

Basic seating position

The driving position is serviceable but not excellent. You should be able to find a decent position as the steering wheel goes in and out and up and down and you can move the seat around in various directions, but there are some excellent seating setups in some of the large vans, with the likes of the VW Crafter offering sprung seats and wide range of adjustment that the Proace Max can’t match.

The middle seat also offers some simple practicality, flipping down to give a flat surface that is handy but nothing revolutionary.

Storage abound

There are plenty of little storage spots around the Proace Max’s cabin. There aren’t any clever solutions, but there is a big compartment up high, some large bins in the doors and a few covered slots on top of the dash and in the form of a glovebox.

There’s also a load-through hatch that allows you to slot that’s too long for the loading bay to sit under the front seat. In short, you won’t find yourself lacking when you want to tuck something out of sight.

• Simple specification offer
• Slightly higher price than Stellantis equivalents
• But comes with more equipment as standard

It’s not going to be a huge shock that the Toyota Proace Max is priced much the same as the other four large Stellantis vans – it wouldn’t be the done, or permitted, thing for Toyota to take the van and then undercut the others.

The only real variance comes from the level of equipment that each company chooses to offer, and Toyota has gone down the route of providing more kit than its rivals. This naturally puts a bit more onto the purchase price, but it also makes the process of choosing your van that bit easier.

Toyota Proace Max electric range

The 110kWh battery in the Toyota Proace Max is one of the largest in the large van class, but this doesn’t automatically translate to the longest electric range of its peers. It still gives you an official maximum of 261 miles, which is a big step forward compared to the large vans of recent years.

Others fare better, with more modern vehicles doing so with smaller batteries and better aerodynamics, but this is in the general ballpark of the class.

Toyota Proace Max warranty

The Proace Max’s warranty is its absolute trump card, and is the reason to choose it over its other Stellantis cousins. At 10 years, the warranty is one of the best in the whole automotive industry, let alone among the Stellantis group vans.

You get 10 years cover from new, but you do have to take it back to get serviced at a Toyota dealer each year to maintain that. However, if you buy a used Proace Max that hasn’t been serviced as it should then you can rejuvenate this warranty by taking it back to a Toyota dealer.

Toyota Proace Max standard equipment

The single trim on the Toyota Proace Max is called Icon, and this is typically the mid-level specification on the brand’s commercial vehicles. This means there is the possibility that there might be another version added above or below it in the future, but for now it means that you don’t have to suffer a basic level of equipment.

The equipment highlights are as follows:

• 10-inch touchscreen infotainment
• Rear-view camera
• Rear parking sensors
• Satellite navigation
• Bluetooth
• Air conditioning
• Auto LED headlights
• 12V power outlet in cargo bay
• 16-inch steel wheels
• Full-size spare wheel

The options list on the Proace Max is relatively short, with only metallic paint, floor mats and a dash camera the main features outside of racking.

The Stellantis large vans don’t usually trouble the top spots in reliability surveys, but there is an interesting point of note in our sister publication Fleet News’ annual FN50 analysis. The smaller Toyota Proace finished above its four medium-sized equivalents, despite being the same basic vehicle.

Although the details could differ from van to van, this could well be down to that superior warranty and the little extra that Toyota’s dealers bring.

• Good level of safety kit
• Extra security equipment on options list

At the time of writing, the Toyota Proace Max hasn’t been tested by Euro NCAP, but its Stellantis equivalents have been. They reached a Gold standard, which is one below the top Platinum level.

The standard kit list includes:

• Pre-collision system with pedestrian and cyclist detection
• Cruise control
• Intelligent speed assist
• Lane departure alert
• Lane trace assist
• Driver attention alert
• Road sign assist
• ABS with brake assist
• Hill-start assist
• Driver and front passenger airbags
• Tyre pressure warning system
• eCall
• Full bulkhead

The options list is fairly short for the Proace Max, but the few things that are on there are geared towards keeping the contents of your van secured. There is a choice of two different locks for the rear loading bay. There’s also the option to add in a Nextbase dashcam although there is nothing to stop you installing your own in the usual manner.