Toyota HiAce 2022 review: LWB diesel auto GL Package - GVM test

Our test vehicle is the popular LWB (Long Wheel Base) workhorse which, following the quiet demise of the redundant 3.5 litre petrol V6 option, is powered exclusively by Toyota’s venerable 1GD-FTV 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel.

It’s available with either standard six-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic like our example, which although presented in the HiAce’s ubiquitous French Vanilla has a more upmarket look thanks to Toyota’s GL option pack. This adds body-coloured front and rear bumpers, door handles and mirrors, plus front and rear chrome garnishes, front fog lamps and a digital rear-view mirror with auto-dimming. The $1000 GL pack boosts the list price to $47,650, but that’s still comfortably under $50K before on-road costs.

A consistent theme with HiAce is small enhancements made as running changes during production. These don’t attract much attention, as they represent a process of incremental refinement rather than major upgrades.

The first of these revisions in mid-2020 were focused on the infotainment system to improve connectivity and ease of use. More came in July 2021 (as fitted to our test vehicle) comprising a larger centre console plus Toyota Connected Services, which includes an app for mobile phones and safety/security functions like Stolen Vehicle Tracking, Automatic Collision Notification, SOS Emergency Call and more.

With its 16-inch steel wheels fitted with plastic wheel covers and 215/60R16 tyres, the HiAce comes with a full-size spare plus a work-focused standard equipment list. This includes folding and heated door mirrors with indicators, tilt-and-reach adjustable leather-accented steering wheel, manual air-con and two 12-volt accessory sockets to name a few.

The dual-speaker infotainment system has a big 8.0-inch touchscreen and steering wheel controls, DAB+2 digital radio and multiple connectivity including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Siri voice recognition, Bluetooth, sat-nav and more.

Since our last review, a glass panel in the cargo bay’s LHS sliding door has become standard issue across the range, which is no doubt aimed at trying to alleviate the substantial blind-spot that exists over a driver’s left shoulder, in not only the HiAce but all solid-walled vans.

The neat and functional two-tone dash layout has intuitive controls that are easy to use and instrumentation that’s easy to read. However, the continued lack of a fold-down inboard armrest for the driver’s seat remains a glaring omission for the market leader, given that such a device can significantly improve driver comfort and numerous rivals include them as standard equipment.

Its 1990mm height allows easy access to underground and multi-storey car parks and its 3210mm wheelbase boasts an impressively tight 11.0-metre turning circle.

The rear-wheel drive chassis design has an inherent traction advantage over front-wheel drive vans, particularly with heavy payloads. It’s also typically robust with MacPherson strut front suspension, a leaf-spring live rear axle and speed-sensitive rack and pinion steering, plus premium four-wheel disc braking on all automatic variants.

In HiAce spec, the refined and efficient 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel meets Euro 5 emissions standard, thereby simplifying maintenance by not needing to top-up an AdBlue tank. There’s also an automatic engine stop-start function to minimise fuel consumption, but thankfully this annoying feature can be switched off. It produces 130kW at 3400rpm and (in auto models) a sizeable 450Nm of torque between 1600-2400rpm.

The Aisin AC60E six-speed torque converter automatic offers sequential manual-shifting if required. Fuel economy is optimised by full converter lock-up on fourth, fifth and sixth gears, along with overdrive on fifth and sixth for highway operation. There’s also an electronically-controlled automatic limited-slip diff.

With the engine stop-start function turned off during 294km of testing, our consumption figures calculated from tripmeter and fuel bowser readings worked out at 10.2L/100km, which compares with Toyota’s official combined average of 8.2L.

Given this vehicle is shaped like a house brick and weighs more than 2.2 tonnes (it’s also gained 20kg in kerb weight since we last tested this model), the fact it was nudging single-digit consumption was commendable given it was mostly driven in city and suburban traffic. So, based on our figures, you could expect a realistic driving range from its 70-litre tank of around 680km.

The cargo bay offers a generous 6.2 cubic metres of load volume. It’s 2530mm long, 1760mm wide and 1340mm high with 1268mm between the rear wheel housings, which means it can carry two standard 1165mm-square Aussie pallets or three 1200 x 800mm/1200 x 1000mm Euro pallets, secured by six floor-mounted anchorage points.

It’s accessed through a non-glazed RHS sliding door and glazed LHS sliding door (both with 1010mm-wide openings) plus a glazed single-lift tailgate. As there’s no rear barn-door option, loading from behind is not possible for most forklifts (we use a hydraulic engine hoist that rolls in under the open tailgate). However, we suspect most HiAce owners don’t carry pallets, so there’s no demand for barn doors. The cargo bay walls and doors are lined to mid-height and there’s ample internal lighting.

The new centre console is a useful advance that cures previously limited cabin storage. It now offers not only the existing open tray at floor level but adds a large lidded box above it which is similar to those found in giant US pick-up trucks.

This cavernous compartment also has an external storage shelf at the front, two large-bottle holders at the rear and another shallow storage tray set into the lid, which when closed can double as a work desk. This is in addition to the existing glovebox, small-bottle/cup holders in the centre and on either side of the dash and a large-bottle holder and storage bin in the base of each front door.

Our test vehicle’s 2225kg kerb weight and 3300kg GVM results in a 1060kg payload rating, of which up to 120kg can be carried on the roof using Toyota’s genuine accessory triple-bar roof rack set.

It’s also rated to tow up to 1500kg of braked trailer and with a GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) of 4800kg, it can haul its maximum payload while towing that weight. Needless to say, those numbers are high on practicality and suitable for any number of work and recreational roles.

The engine has ample power and torque, displaying good flexibility with strong low-rpm response. The Aisin six-speed does its best work in automatic mode, with crisp and smooth shift protocols that optimise engine response, particularly at sub-80km/h speeds typically encountered in city and suburban driving.

It also needs only 1700rpm to maintain 100km/h and 1800rpm at 110km/h. This makes it low-stressed and economical on the highway, with driver comfort enhanced by cruise control which is easy to use and maintains set speeds with discipline, even on downhills.

The roof is internally lined from windscreen to tailgate, which we suspect helps to reduce internal noise levels that are surprisingly tolerable for a van without a bulkhead between cabin and cargo bay.

Given its one-tonne-plus payload rating, the ride quality when empty or lightly loaded is surprisingly smooth, combined with responsive steering and strong braking. The tight 11-metre turning circle, thanks largely to its rear-wheel-drive design, allows for easy manoeuvrability.

There’s easy cabin access and it’s not hard to find a comfortable driving position thanks to plenty of seat adjustment, height-and-reach-adjustable leather steering wheel and a well-placed left footrest. The combination of large glass areas and active driver aids like blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert instil confidence.

In our experience, it’s a very competent load hauler. We’ve previously strapped 975kg into the cargo bay of this model which with driver was right on the GVM limit, but minimal compression in the rear leaf springs left ample bump-stop clearance and therefore suspension travel.

With its ample 450Nm of torque, the heavily loaded HiAce never felt sluggish on climbs and cruised effortlessly at highway speeds. Engine-braking was equally robust and the auto transmission held the manually-selected gear. This was reassuring when leaning on the engine during long, steep descents, knowing it wasn’t about to suddenly shift up a gear (to prematurely protect the engine) like numerous rivals.