Traditional minivans have almost completely disappeared from the market. If you now want a large car for more than five people, you almost have to buy a car built in a van body.

One option is the Toyota Proace City Verso. If the car looks a bit familiar, it’s because the same car is available in a total of four different makes. These other makes and models are the Citroën Berlingo, the Peugeot Rifter and the Opel Combo.

The Toyota is actually French, as it is made at the PSA plant in Spain and uses the same technology as PSA cars.

They are all based on the EMP2 chassis structure, which is also used in the Peugeot 308 and 3008 and the Citroën C4 Picasso, among others.

The Proace City Verso is available in two body lengths, with an external length of either 4.4 metres or 4.7 metres.

The van versions always have 1 2 seats in front. The passenger version of the Proace City Verso has two seats in front and, depending on the model, a total of five or seven seats.

The cabin has several storage spaces. There are dedicated spaces for coins and coffee cups, and plenty of open and hidden storage for other items. Unfortunately, the Finnish model is not as well equipped as the Central European model.

The second-row seats fold down to a flat floor if required. The third-row seats can be lifted out of the car one by one.

Passenger car drivability

The test car had intelligent cruise control, automatic high beams, windscreen display, wireless mobile phone charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a reversing camera and an eight-speed automatic gearbox. It’s also quite quiet and comfortable and very spacious.

The good thing about the driving position is that you sit high up in the car and can get close to the steering wheel. In addition, the height adjustment allows you to sit a little higher.

Nowadays, more and more vans feel more and more like cars. So does Toyota.

The Toyota Proace City Verso also offers good suspension comfort and quietness. It’s fairly quiet in the cabin, but in the cockpit the noise from the front tyres carries into the cabin.

Drivability is good, and the engine has enough power to carry a few people.

The interior is rather ascetic, although the model tested was the best equipped in Finland. The manufacturer would have a lot of extra features for the car, but they would probably increase the Finnish price too much.

For example, you could get a spacious centre console between the front seats and a storage compartment in the rear roof. However, these are not available as options in Finland.

For family use, it’s nice to have sliding doors on both sides of the car. The sliding doors are otherwise comfortable to use, but it takes a lot of force to close them.

In the test car, the tailgate window could be opened separately. In a tight space, for example, it’s handy to be able to get small items into the boot without opening the big tailgate.

The adjustment range for the seat belts in the second row of seats is too small. Even at the lowest setting, the seat belt easily comes up to the neck.

The instrument panel is a traditional analogue instrument panel with a tachometer and speedometer. In the middle is a display that shows, for example, speed in digital form or, for example, information from the navigation system.

A six-speed manual gearbox is available on the base version of the car, but the test car had an eight-speed automatic. The gearbox is made by PSA.

The engine was a 130 hp 1.2-litre petrol engine produced by PSA. A 110-horsepower version was also available for the Verso model, but no diesel.

The engine works very well and has sufficient power. It also works well with the automatic gearbox, although at times it seemed to shift a little too quickly.

The seats in the back row are not child seats at all, but can accommodate an adult for a slightly longer distance.

Latest safety systems

The Proace City range is equipped with the latest safety systems.

Depending on the model, a wide range of active safety equipment is available, from Pre-Collision, Traffic Sign Recognition, Lane Departure Warning and Driver Alertness Monitoring to Automatic High Beam and Lane Keeping Assist.

Adaptive cruise control and blind spot warning are also available. The eCall function is standard on all models, enabling automatic contact with the regional emergency centre in the event of a serious accident.

The lane departure warning system worked well in principle, but was not always entirely consistent. The cruise control, on the other hand, sometimes seemed to react too slowly when the car in front started to accelerate.

For safety and convenience, there is an available reversing camera with 180-degree view and an electric parking brake.

For whom?

The Toyota Proace City Verso is ideal for users who need full-time or temporary space for up to seven people. The car is also ideal for the entrepreneur who occasionally needs a little more space for passengers.

The car is also good for transporting goods. There is just enough cargo space when the rear seats are removed and the second row seats are folded down to floor level.

Interestingly for the buyer, there are basically four makes of the same car. Buyers should compare the different versions and prices of the cars and only then make a decision.

The resale value of a car may also differ between brands. The PSA versions have been on the market for longer, while the Toyota version is now slightly behind.

The test-driven car costs just over €38 000. The cheapest model of the Proace City Verson costs just over €24 100. The cheapest version, with a longer body, costs just over €32 200.