There are some who would say the new HiAce isn’t what it used to be, but Toyota and those who understand no product – no successful product – stays the same forever, and this model is simply HiAce going forward.
HiAce was first produced in 1967 and is now in its sixth generation. The first HiAce and the current one, have more in common with each other in terms of their shape than any of the other models.
So, the current shape – like it or not – is actually a hark back to the earliest days of the HiAce, a model which I have particularly fond memories of as it took me home from school most afternoons – I even remember the plate; IE990, and it had a sophisticated coffee and chocolate paint-job.
The 6th gen two-seat Hiace doesn’t really lend itself to two-tone factory colour schemes, or it might, but its users tend not to care. What they do care about though, is getting into the business (back) end of Toyota’s long-serving hauler.
When the Gen 6 first arrived here some four years ago, it arrived with sliding doors on either side of the nicely cubed box that makes up the cargo area and an across-the-range one-solution-fits-all vertical lift tailgate at the back.
This was good as it afforded the maximum amount of uncluttered loading space, even though some taller folks were prone to occasional head-to-tail contact.
Sadly, this was not something you remembered after doing once and what’s more, the tailgate isn’t the lightest of constructions so those of less height found the tailgate a bit to handle.
On the plus side, it does make a very effective storm shield, giving plenty of provision to wait out some inclement weather with a sausage roll and a coffee.
Why are harping on about the rear door? Mostly because it’s the only change Toyota has been able to make to its popular 2.8-litre van in the last four years. Toyota’s design engineers seem to have everything else pretty much right.
The proof is in the popularity. HiAce commands about 30 per cent of the market, with its nearest rival about 420 units behind it in August’s year-to-date figures. From this, we could draw a short bow and say that even if the 6th gen shape isn’t your cup of chai, most are still buying it anyway.
And now, those buyers are a: not hitting their heads when opening the tail lift and b: not jumping up and down to close it – because the Toyota HiAce now has the option of barn-style doors.
I was a little surprised at the mechanics of the doors though. Everything looked Toyota factory standard until I saw the rather frail-looking brace bar which folds out from the door to hook into an eyelet just inside the bumper fascia.
This looks a little like Kiwi ingenuity at work. I could be wrong, but it clashes with the quality of the HiAce overall which is in keeping with what we have come to expect of Toyota.
You do see that quality in the cabin and its spec’ level. As well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth streaming and Miracast, you get SUNA traffic updates and onboard satellite navigation displayed through an 8-inch screen which also displays the rear camera view.
HiAce is naturally, blessed with Toyota’s proprietary Safety Sense package and has one of the more comprehensive collections of safety equipment, including trailer sway control for those times when the 1010kg payload of the van just needs to pull a little more – up to 1500kg on a braked trailer for example.
There is a premium exterior pack available as a $200 cost option which gives body-coloured bumpers and fog lights.
