Africa’s Favourite Workhorse: Our Toyota HiAce Van Review
The Toyota HiAce Van is not only very popular in Oceania, but in places such as Africa and Asia it is also used extensively for transporting goods and people. If there is something that Toyota knows how to design and build it is a functional vehicle, and HiAce is as functional as they come.
It is no wonder that today it has become the perfect workhorse, mostly for transporting people from one point to another.
Cheap Toyota HiAce Van Models for Sale
When you order a used HiAce van from Japan, you usually have the option of buying a cargo van or a commuter van. What started as a small, rudimentary van with a direct injection engine has today become a favorite community bus with many drivers loving it for its load ability, durability, and overall responsiveness.
In this review, we are going to take a closer look at the 2009 model of the Toyota HiAce van.
Interior & Comfort
The Toyota HiAce can be used in a variety of ways, with many opting to buy it for use as a cargo van, or in other cases to convert into a tour or camper van for the family, or for hiring out to other people commercially. No matter the purpose, this durable van offers a surprisingly high amount of comfort and interior features.
Back Seats
Should you decide to go for the commuter bus HiAce, then it will come with seats already installed in the back. The seating capacity will differ from one van to another, with some having 12 seats and others coming with 14 seats.
Comfortable seats with high-quality fabric, and an aisle between the seats to access the very back seats, are also available. The floor is corrugated for extra safety and tenacity. Each of the windows located in the back-seating area can also slide open or shut for better ventilation.
Front Seats
This van can carry three people in the front; the driver and two passengers. It is a high boxy van, so there is a lot of cabin space for air circulation and overall comfort. For entertainment, there is a radio CD player fitted with two speakers.
The driver seat is adjustable in many ways, such as for moving forward and back as well as adjusting the lean angle. It comes with power windows on both doors, power steering, and power mirrors. Leg space for front passengers is plentiful as this van has the gearshift mounted close to the dashboard, thus leaving all the space under it free.
Features & Driveability
Practicality
The Toyota HiAce van is made to be more functional and practical than for its aesthetics, but to the surprise of many this van still manages to look quite attractive. It has a boxy look from the back, but it maintains a nice streamlined look and build in the front, perhaps to help it move with more speed on highways.
It is a 4-door van, with a driver’s door, passenger door, boot door, and a sliding door on either the left or the right side, depending on whether the van is a left-hand drive or a right-hand drive vehicle. This van has been built with self-employed people, couriers, and business people in mind.
Therefore, it is easy to access cargo either from the side sliding door or from the back. Opening the doors is easy and, what’s more, it is not too high from the ground but has just enough ground clearance to not scrape its underparts on rougher terrain such as the case with many roads located throughout Africa.
Driveability
Driving this van is simple and straightforward, but it has several added driver assist features all the same. The latest HiAce vans come with a number of added features such as reverse camera, power windows, air conditioning, and a central locking system with remote control. Whichever way you look at this van, it comes ready for work, and that shows why it is so common on the road and a favourite of many Africans.
For extra safety when parked, it has an engine immobilizer. This gives you peace of mind that your vehicle is safe right where you left it.
The average engine displacement capacity is 2,694cc, with a 4-cylinder engine and tank capacity of around 70 liters and a fuel type of petrol or diesel. Looked at from the angle of a home use van, the 2009 model of the Toyota HiAce has a slightly higher fuel economy, at 12.6 liters per 100 kilometers.
The driving experience is solid overall, and basically if you have driven an SUV before you will love this van too. Another highlight is that the driver is offered high visibility, with the left side (for right-hand drive vehicles) being set towards the front as such that it is ahead of you, but to the left. This means you do not have to turn your head to the left to see it. It also comes attached with a curb mirror to assist with parking.
While this van can also be used for camping, it would need to be modified for driving off-road. It is made to drive predominantly on less rough terrain only, otherwise the driving experience can be worsened.
Safety, Pricing & Verdict
Safety
The Toyota HiAce Van has a level of safety on par with its competitors. At the front of the van, there are driver and passenger SRS airbags, fitted for the front only. Although airbags aren’t fitted in the passenger area, its seats include secure safety belts.
Audio controls for the speakers are located on the steering wheel, saving the driver the trouble and possible danger of bending over to fiddle with the radio while driving.
Other features include cruise control, disc-ventilated brakes for the front wheels, and drum brakes for the back wheels. A reverse camera is also available, since this is a model of the feature-rich 5th generation.
Pricing & Overall Opinion
The price of a used 2009 (5th generation) HiAce Van starts at around $5,000 and peaks at around $6,000, depending on its condition. Remember, the 5th generation HiAce was launched in 2005 and since then, it has simply gotten better with time.
This van is particularly recommended for business people, the self-employed, construction and courier companies, as well as for airport transfer services. If you love camping, it can be also be modified into a solid camper van. In addition, being a popular Toyota vehicle, spare parts are readily available anywhere in Africa for added convenience.
