The new Toyota Corolla Commercial is the first full hybrid electric van in its class. Developed and built in the UK, this new car-derived van was designed to offer business customers the advantage of high fuel efficiency and low emissions. Its fourth-generation hybrid system gives a generous all-electric driving capability that’s ideal for urban deliveries, while allowing the freedom to make longer trips whenever required, with no need to schedule down-time for recharging.
The van is based on the Corolla Touring Sports estate, so it has a more generous load capacity than vehicles based on a hatchback body. The cargo area has a maximum capacity of 1,326 litres, with easy access through the wide tailgate aperture. The flat load floor has a tough rubber lining and there is a full-height steel bulkhead, interior light and a 12V power outlet. Maximum payload is 425kg and braked trailers weighing up to 750kg can be towed.
Corolla Commercial production
The Corolla Commercial is built at the Toyota Manufacturing UK plant at Burnaston, Derbyshire, and produced on the same assembly line as the Corolla Hatchback and Touring Sports passenger cars. However, the conversion work is carried out in a dedicated area within the plant complex, where the van-specific elements are installed by experienced Toyota technicians in order for the model to meet N1 type approval as a goods vehicle.
Powertrain and chassis
The Corolla Commercial is based on the Corolla Touring Sports 1.8 Hybrid model. This means it features a 1,798cc DOHC Atkinson cycle petrol engine, a compact and powerful electric motor/generator and a lithium-ion high-voltage battery to give a total system output of 120bhp. Quiet and intuitive in operation, this powertrain offers WLTP combined cycle economy figures of 55.6 to 61.4mpg allied to 105 to 115g/km of CO2 emissions. But if you put your foot down, the van can accelerate to 62mph in 11.1 seconds and top-out at 112mph.
The dynamic qualities of the passenger Corolla’s TNGA-C platform are also evident in the Corolla Commercial. Its rigid body structure offers superior protection and impact absorption, while simultaneously enhancing steering feedback and chassis responsiveness. The van also shares the same MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension arrangement.
Safety features
The transition from Touring Sports to Commercial includes the wholesale adoption of the passenger model’s Toyota Safety Sense active safety and driver assistance features. The advanced technologies listed below are designed to identify accident risks and help prevent or mitigate collisions across a wide range of common driving scenarios.
- Pre-Collision System
- Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control
- Lane Departure Alert with steering control
- Vehicle Sway Warning
- Lane Trace Assist
- Automatic High Beam
- Road Sign Assist
Corolla Commercial has an equally strong array of passive safety features. In addition to its highly rigid body, there are seven cabin air bags, and vehicle control systems including ABS with brake force distribution, stability control, traction control and hill start assist – all provided as standard. The van is also equipped with the eCall system for automatic SOS alerts to the emergency services in the event of a serious collision.
Corolla Commercial: equipment and pricing
The Corolla Commercial is produced in a single model grade with a high specification that reflects its passenger car roots. Standard features include:
- Full-height metal bulkhead behind the front seats
- Eight-inch multimedia display
- Smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Reversing camera
- Automatic headlights
- Heated and power adjustable door mirrors
- Dual-zone air conditioning
- Heated and height-adjustable seats with power lumbar adjustment for the driver
The commercial vehicle on-the-road price is £22,149 excluding VAT (£26,510 with VAT). Business customers can take advantage of the following Kinto contract hire agreements:
- £257 plus VAT per month, plus an initial rental of £1,542 plus VAT
- £261 plus VAT per month, plus an initial rental of £1,566 plus VAT (maintenance included)
The standard finish is Pure White, with Eclipse Black and Silver metallic paint options also available. Customers can specify various bundled packs to enhance the vehicle’s appearance and functionality, while individual extras include parking sensors and a towing system.
Warranty cover for up to ten years
In common with all Toyota vehicles, the Corolla Commercial has a three-year/60,000-mile new vehicle warranty. After three years, it qualifies for the free Toyota Warranty programme, which provides an additional 12 months/10,000 miles of cover each time the vehicle has a scheduled annual service at an authorised Toyota centre. This is available until the vehicle reaches ten years old or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.
As part of the Toyota Professional range of light commercial vehicles, it also comes with five years of roadside assistance and the guarantee of a service appointment within seven days. If the service target is not met, the customer qualifies for a 50% reduction in servicing labour costs.
Learn more: What was the first car-derived van Toyota produced for the UK?
I read a test report that suggests the rear doors cannot be opened from the inside. So, for the first time in 40 years, it is entirely possible to lock yourself inside the vehicle with no escape. As I said in an earlier post, I converted a standard Astra Sports tourer to CDV regs and the rear doors are still operational from inside and outside. This functionality is not something that needs to be removed for CDV legality, so why have Toyota decided to make this a trap? Other comment on sound system is also valid. I cannot fit my own sound system as it needs the international standard DIN slot for mounting. Toyota is not alone in abandoning this, but other manufacturers did at least offer adapter facia. I have this on order, so will be driving it. Time will tell if it cuts the mustard. Toyota must think AstraVan with this. Make it nimble through winding roads, stable and fast on motorways (I will be driving this through Germany), in other words a drivers vehicle and you will sell a mountain of these.
I totally agree with you about the rear doors, hoe is that safe. I made a formal complain to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and they don’t actually care about safety if it complies with Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) who set the standard. So my theory is, some guy in the VCA wants to kidnap someone and plans to buy the Corolla Commercial to stuff them in the back so they can’t get out! Or they are brainless idiots who think it’s a great idea to put people at risk. I’m in the building trade and if this were a space in a building you were climbing into you would probably need a confined working risk assessment and it would probably need two people lol. I was going to complain to the VCA as well but just can’t be bothered, it’s easier to go buy a door release cable and fit it.
But you would think Toyota would give a **** they invest all this money in safety and do this or, don’t offer blind spot assist and a van conversion with blacked out windows an non commercial door mirrors. Anyway I had a firm delivery date for a month ago for mine, I think it’s been lost
Hi Robert,
Thanks for your comment.
If you’d like to discuss this issue further, please contact our Customer Relations Team here – https://www.toyota.co.uk/help-centre#/iframe/https%3A%2F%2Fforms.toyota.co.uk%2Fcontact-us.
Thanks.
First Corolla Commercial now on the road (well 12,000 miles ago!). Rear doors DO have a working internal handle. That was certainly not clear on the pre-order info. Phew.
However, there are a number of minor irritations which I am trying to get resolved with Toyota GB. My past contact is no longer with Toyota, so we start all over again to build a constructive relationship.
The main points raised in other comments do seem to centre on the hype that this is for long distance, yet many useful features have been neglected. The comments on the sound system in particular are well founded. The system, while not dire, is simply not up to being used easily and for long drive times. It can only just cope with rubbish MP3 compressed file for quality, so forget encoding with FLAC at 24bit/96Khz, you will not hear any difference. Like other prospective owners, I will be in this vehicle for up to 6 hours on a single journey. The need for a high quality audio system (even if this is an option) is paramount. I had a nice Empeg (google it) in my past AstraVans and the Sports Tourer for over 20 years. The common sense people at Vauxhall made a DIN slot adapter available so I could fit my own system, Empeg, power amp, speakers, everything. Not possible at all in the Corolla.
The quality of the vehicle as a whole really is typical Toyota, ie everything works properly and should be totally reliable for years on the road, so get the rest of it right and ex AstraVan owners will finally take a keen interest.
As a final note, whilst this version is not perfect, I have ordered the next one already….
I am picking up the demonstration vehicle from Wrexham Lindop on Monday for a 2 day test drive. Utterly magnificent service on their part much to their credit.
On paper this would be perfect fit for my sales agency business and if it turns out to be any good I’m sure I’ll be ordering one. However, I would like to echo the points made by previous commenters – I want a sexy interior, with at top of the line media system and not some “it’ll do, they’re van drivers” spec. The plastic handles are crap and I want some killer alloys on it – come on Toyota! What are you thinking? I’ve also read that the rear doors cannot be opened from inside the van, is this true? It sounds like a court case waiting to happen.
Finally, I believe Toyota are planning a refresh to the Corolla in 2023 which includes upgrades to the new hybrid system and media system. If I were to place an order for the Corolla Commercial in the next week or so, assuming I’m happy with the basic concept following my test drive, will I receive the updated version?
In short: bling up the interior, infotainment and wheels, doors that open from the inside and the new hybrid system = Mega Sales.
You may have found already that the rear doors do indeed open from the inside.
I am one of those who are happy with the “understatement” of the commercial and don’t mind the plastic handles and avctually prefer steel wheels for their practicality. I personally think Toyota have got that right. If you want alloys, there are plenty of aftermarket options, not difficult. I chose to have a full sized steel spare wheel as well and put a nice Michelin tyre on that. Now trying to scrub the Bridgestones!!
I think everyone here agrees that the sound system needs to be improved. Not just the quality but also the useability. The current 2022 system plays its own alphabetical choice once your current album has finished the last track. Annoying system really and the reason I don’t even bother with it for journeys of less than 100 miles or so…
I think you will find the basic concept of the hybrid system, chassis etc is really quite good. A tad soft on the dampers (SensaTrak would cure that), but all in all, the base vehicle could hardly be better given the Toyota parts bin choices.
I am waiting to see what the 2023 model offers. If better, I will have it and pass my 2022 on to the poor engineer who thinks he is getting a brand new van!!
Can the steel bulkhead be removed on the Toyota Corolla Commercial please ?
Hello Billy.
I removed the upper mesh to allow better rear vision. That was bolts where the rear grab handles would be on the car variant and pop rivets where it joins the solid bulkhead portion so a drill will be needed. Took me around 1/2 hour to bin it. I left the lower portion as that is quite useful. That looks like bolts and screws too.