If a regular MPV won’t cut it, then plenty of companies offer van-based MPVs packing even more seats into an even more practical shape to fill that role. Toyota’s is the Proace Verso, based on its popular Proace van, developed in conjunction with Peugeot and Citroen.
With seven, eight, and nine-seat layouts, different body lengths and trim levels covering everything from basic use to executive transport, the Verso covers all the bases, and while it’s not the best van-based MPV you can buy either to look at or to drive, it makes sense as a used buy - not least because nearly-new models may have the balance of Toyota’s five-year warranty left.
The Peugeot Traveller and Citroen SpaceTourer are effectively the same van with a different look, while the Volkswagen Caravelle, Ford Tourneo Custom and Mercedes-Benz V-Class all provide varying levels of sophistication and badge appeal that may just tempt you away from the Toyota.
Toyota has offered Verso models before, appending the tag to everything from the Yaris supermini to the Avensis family car. It’s shorthand for an MPV, and the name is just as relevant to the van-based Proace Verso, with its seven, eight, and nine-seat layouts, and three body lengths. The Proace Verso was launched in 2016, and shares its general shape and most of its engines and features with the Peugeot Traveller and Citroen SpaceTourer.
A used Toyota Proace Verso immediately takes the sting out of one of the van’s less competitive aspects on the new market, its price. Combined with a competitive five-year warranty - meaning two or three-year old vans still have a few years left to go - it makes the van more of a value proposition than it was when new.
Highlights include a usefully tight turning circle, good motorway refinement, a comfortable ride, and impressive fuel economy, on paper at least. The smaller 1.5 and 1.6-litre engines can get a bit vocal but the 2-litre diesels are more than up to the task of hauling the van along - and the automatic gearbox on the top 180PS model is pleasantly smooth.
It isn’t the most desirable van-based MPV on the market, with some brands making more effort to inject some style into what’s otherwise a class that thrives on practicality and costs, but if space, seating arrangements and ease of use are your priorities, the Proace Verso is easy to recommend.
Better-driving alternatives include the Ford Tourneo Custom and Volkswagen Caravelle, while the Mercedes-Benz V-Class makes a case for itself purely for the badge on the bonnet. If the Proace works for you but you’re not swayed by the Toyota’s styling, then the Peugeot Traveller and Citroen SpaceTourer may prove more interesting.
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As with many vans and van-based passenger vehicles, the best model to buy very much comes down to your needs and budget. With increasing levels of equipment but decreasing numbers of seats, you’ll have to choose how important each factor is to determine whether you opt for a Verso in Shuttle, Family, or VIP trim, though it has to be said that Family does strike a good balance. Three body length options give you further choice, though Toyota discontinued the Compact length in 2021.
Keep an eye out for 2020-on models as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto became standard fitment on trim levels that include multimedia screens. From 2022-on, only 2-litre engines were available too - but their extra power does make them worthwhile for regular passenger duties or motorway runs.
The Proace Verso trim levels should be fairly easy to determine at a glance, with three distinct models aimed from simple people-moving use, to a more family-friendly layout and then a ‘VIP’ executive travel layout. Beyond simple trim differences the biggest change between each is the number of seats: Nine for the Shuttle, eight for the Family, and seven for the VIP.
The Toyota Proace Verso’s dimensions are:
The Toyota Proace Verso’s boot size is:
Classed as a passenger car the Proace Verso is subject to the same VED (‘road tax’) rates as regular cars, rather than commercial vehicles. If the model you’re looking at cost under £40,000 new then it’ll attract a £180 bill, while models registered prior to April 2017 will be taxed on their CO2 output, attracting bills of £290-£395 depending on the engine.
Insurance groups for the Proace Verso currently vary between groups 20-24, in the 1-50 group system. That’s a little more than the groups 11-24 of the similar Peugeot Traveller.
Read our full Toyota Proace Verso review
£38,999
