New Toyota Proace Verso and Proace City Verso electric MPVs look awfully familiar
New all-electric van-based MPVs come from Toyota’s collaboration with Stellantis
The new Toyota Proace Verso EV and Proace City Verso are here to take on the all-electric people carrier segment. The two models are based on Toyota’s small and medium panel vans, but this is the first time we’ve seen a Verso version of the Proace City, and it’s the first time that the larger Proace Verso has been fitted with electric drive.
The two vans are a product of Toyota’s partnership with Stellantis and all of its brands, so the Toyota Proace Verso EV is essentially identical to the Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric, Citroen E-Spacetourer and Peugeot E-Traveller, bar the Toyota badge on the nose and the company’s own multimedia system on-board. As for the smaller Proace City model, it uses the same tech as the Citroen e-Berlingo, Fiat e-Doblo, Peugeot E-Rifter and Vauxhall Combo Life Electric. All of those models have just received a mid-life facelift, too, so the Proace Verso EV enters a tight market.
The old Proace Verso was offered with a diesel powertrain (and for a longer period than its tech-sharing siblings), but with the introduction of the EV Toyota has now dropped that version completely.
The Proace Verso EV comes in nine-seat Shuttle form. The rear seats have a ‘tilt and tumble’ mechanism to allow easy access and standard kit includes driver’s lumbar support, electric windows, tinted rear windows, automatic headlights and wipers, heated door mirrors and body-coloured bumpers. Up front there’s a seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, integrated sat-nav and an eight-speaker sound system.
Powering the Verso EV is a familiar 50kW battery that we’ve seen on a selection of Stellantis cars and its van-based MPVs. It sends power to a front-mounted electric motor with 134bhp and 260Nm of torque for a 0-62mph time of 12.1 seconds. More importantly it allows for a maximum range of up to 143 miles. The battery can be recharged from 10 to 80 per cent in just less than 30 minutes, according to Toyota.
Compared with the Verso EV which is available in medium (4,959mm) or long (5,309mm) body lengths, the City Verso EV is a shorter five-seat variant with the same powertrain. The City is offered in Shuttle or Family trim levels, again in medium (4,403mm) or long (4,753mm) bodies. Shuttle includes an 11kW on-board charger, air-conditioning, tinted windows and Bluetooth. The Family model adds a larger 10-inch display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a pre-collision avoidance system, automatic air-conditioning and 16-inch alloy wheels.
Pricing kicks off at £34,113 for the City Verso EV Shuttle and £37,701 for the Family version. The larger Verso EV starts at £42,998 for the medium length and £43,488 for the longer model. The Proace Verso EV is available to order now, with deliveries expected to begin in March.
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