VERSO WITH FEWER PROVISOS (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Toyota's most sensible family EV is this one, the Proace City Verso Electric in its 7-seat Long form. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 45

The Proace City Verso EV is the smaller MPV sibling to the Proace Verso EV. And Toyota's version of the Stellantis Group compact electric van-based people carrier design already offered by Peugeot, Vauxhall, and Citroen. Let's take a closer look at the 7-seater Long version.

Backgroundword count: 115

Toyota has whole range of compact family EVs these days - Urban Cruiser, C-HR+ and two versions of the bZ4X. Which has meant that its other compact EV contender, the Proace City Verso Electric, has got rather forgotten. Yet that car's a very practical choice for those unafflicted by the need for a fashionable look. And it's particularly versatile in the long wheelbase seven-seat form we look at here. As you might guess at a glance, this car isn't a Toyota design, borrowed instead from Stellantis, who also badge this same design as either a Citroen e-Berlingo, a Vauxhall Combo e-Life or a Peugeot E-Rifter. Buying it Toyota's way though, gets you much longer warranty.

Driving Experienceword count: 211

If you know anything about the engineering of this product, you won't be expecting it to be any different to drive than its E-Rifter, E-Berlingo or Combo Electric Stellantis Group EV cousins - and of course, it isn't. Start up and there's the usual beep as you get the sign that all is ready to pull away; which you do in the default 'Normal' drive mode. The other selectable drive settings are 'Eco' and 'Power'. You'll need the 'Power' mode to unleash the electric motor's full 134bhp output, though if you drive like that, you will of course get nowhere near the 50kWh battery's WLTP-rated best driving range figure, rated at up to 205 miles. Better to stick to the 'Normal' mode, which restricts output to 108bhp; or possibly around town to 'Eco' mode, though that gives you just 81bhp and restricts the climate system. 'Normal' mode should be fine for realistic maximisation of range, particularly if you select the 'B' transmission setting that increases brake regeneration. As usual with EVs, if you do need performance, it's only a right foot jab away; 62mph from rest occupies 11.2s, but the instant response you get to 30mph makes this MPV feel quicker than that. Overtakes are easy too; 50-75 mph takes 8.9s.

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