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Toyota doesn't make hasty decisions and with good reason. As one of the world’s largest and longest-running automotive manufacturers (founded 1937), it applies the same rigorous assessment of each new model proposal or running change.
That ensures each green light stacks up as a viable business case, from which the company is assured of getting a worthwhile return on its investment.
This pragmatic approach was evident in Toyota’s decision in 2022 to offer a rear barn-door option for its HiAce van. Given this iconic commercial vehicle was launched in 1967, it’s taken 55 years for Toyota to finally offer an alternative to the HiAce's signature swing-up tailgate.
Barn doors are ideal for those needing forklift access to cargo bays, so we assume this decision was prompted not only by competitors offering similar options but also growing demand from Toyota’s all-important fleet buyers. We recently tested one to see if this long-awaited option is on the money.
The 4x2 segment of Australia’s light commercial vehicle market is where you’ll find utes primarily designed for hard yakka. These base-model workhorses come in a variety of body types including single cab, extra cab, dual cab, ute or cab chassis.
Buyers are typically government and commercial fleets, tradies, farmers, couriers and other business owners with a sharp focus on minimising costs.
In that context, base-model 4x2s are popular, as they not only avoid the added complexity/expense of 4x4 but also have minimal standard equipment.
Toyota has long dominated this segment with its 4x2 Hilux variants, but more recently its market share has diminished in the face of increasing competition from numerous rear-drive rivals, headed by Isuzu’s D-Max and Ford’s Ranger, which was recently crowned Australia's top-selling motor vehicle.
We recently spent a week aboard the blue oval's 4x2 workhorse offering, to see how it measures up in this increasingly competitive market segment.
The rear barn-door option brings a significant boost in versatility, ensuring Toyota’s dominant market leader not only maintains its vast customer base but potentially expands it to include forklift-reliant operators who have previously overlooked the HiAce.
Given we had to wait 55 years for this barn-door option, we hope we don’t have to wait another half a century for a fold-down inboard armrest on the driver’s seat, which is now the only item missing from an otherwise formidable workhorse specification.
The Ford Ranger XL 4x2 Double Cab combines strong performance with a one-tonne-plus payload rating, 3500kg towing ability, spacious cabin and excellent ride/handling.
However, it could be even better without the penny-pinching evident in the lack of rear passenger air-vents/USB etc found in some 4x2 rivals. Even so, for workhorse buyers, there’s plenty to like here.
It’s a typically robust design comprising MacPherson strut front suspension, a leaf-spring live rear axle that’s excellent for load-carrying, variable-ratio rack and pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes on all automatic variants, like ours.
The rear-wheel drive chassis has an inherent traction advantage over front-wheel drive vans, particularly on loose or slippery surfaces and with heavy payloads.
Its 1990mm height allows access to underground and multi-storey car parks and its 3210mm wheelbase boasts an impressively tight 11.0-metre turning circle.
The two-tone dash layout is neat and functional with easy-to-use controls and instrumentation.
There’s still no fold-down inboard armrest for the driver’s seat to enhance comfort on long hauls, but given we had to wait more than half a century for a barn-door option, we know Toyota won’t be rushed on these decisions.
All Ranger XL 4x2s are called ‘Hi-Riders’ as they share the same ride height as their 4x4 siblings. As a result, they also benefit from the same ground clearance/approach/departure angles, which can be handy if there's some rugged terrain in your line of work.
Braking is a front disc/rear drum combination but you’d struggle to feel the difference between this and the four-wheel discs of higher-grade models, given how well Ford has refined the set-up over the years.
The Ranger XL is a chrome-free zone as you'd expect, with the interior featuring many shades of grey and a conspicuous number of plastic caps in places where buttons/switches are found in more luxurious variants.
Even so, the cabin is neat and functional for this role. Rear seat space is excellent, even for tall people like me (186cm). There’s also ample headroom, which contributes to the spacious feel.
Our only gripes are the absence of air-vents and a USB port in the rear of the centre console, which come standard in rivals like Isuzu’s D-Max SX.
With its 2225kg kerb weight and 3300kg GVM, the HiAce has a genuine one-tonne-plus payload rating of 1060kg, and up to 120kg of that can be carried on the roof using Toyota’s genuine accessory triple-bar roof rack set.
It also has a braked tow rating of up to 1500kg and with a GCM (how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) of 4800kg, it can carry its peak 1060kg payload while towing that weight, which is a versatile set of numbers for a working van.
Cargo bay walls and doors are lined to mid-height, the roof is internally lined and there’s ample internal lighting.
It’s accessed from either side through sliding doors with 1010mm-wide openings, or from the rear through the barn-doors which are both equipped with demisters/windscreen wipers and can swing open to 180 degrees.
Each door also has a simple brace which can hold them at 90 degrees opening if required.
The cargo bay offers a sizeable 6.2 cubic metres of load volume, measuring 2530mm long, 1760mm wide and 1340mm high.
With 1268mm between the rear wheel housings and six floor-mounted load anchorage points, it can carry up to two standard 1165mm-square Aussie pallets or up to three 1200 x 800mm/1200 x 1000mm Euro pallets.
Its spacious driver’s cabin has numerous storage offerings including a large-bottle holder and bin in the base of each front door, small-bottle/cupholders in the centre and on either side of the dash, plus a single glove box.
The centre console is well designed, comprising an open storage tray at floor level and a large lidded box between the seats.
This not only has cavernous internal storage but there’s also an external shelf at the front, two large-bottle holders at the rear and another shallow tray set into the lid, which when closed can double as a handy work desk.
Thanks to its relatively light 2093kg kerb weight, our test vehicle’s 3250kg GVM allows for an impressive 1157kg payload rating.
It’s also rated to tow up to the category-benchmark 3500kg of braked trailer and given its big 6200kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) that would still leave a generous payload capacity of more than 600kg.
These are strong numbers well suited to a variety of heavy-hauling tasks.
The load tub’s floor is 1547mm long and 1584mm wide with 1224mm between the wheel housings, allowing it to carry an 1165mm-square Aussie pallet which can be secured using a choice of six load-anchorage points (three each side).
A steel-framed bulkhead doubles as robust protection for the cabin’s rear window and a handy place on which to lean and secure items that are too long to fit in the tub.
Its flush-fitting load retainers can pivot and lock into a vertical position on each side, to effectively ‘book-end’ loads when securing them.
The tub has internal lighting thanks to small but bright LEDs embedded in the sidewalls. These are welcome not only when accessing the tub at night or in poorly-lit internal spaces, but also if it's fitted with a hard tonneau cover.
There are concave side-steps behind the rear wheels, which make accessing the load tub easier and safer than standing on top of the tyres as owners often do, because if they're wet or muddy it’s easy to slip off.
Six plastic caps (three each side) along the top edges of the sidewalls can be removed to provide access to internal mounting points for numerous structures, like ladder racks.
The top edge of the tailgate incorporates a 1.3-metre ruler and a pair of spring-loaded ‘trapdoors’ which provide access to the tailgate’s internal cavity.
This allows for the use of G-clamps, which can be inserted into these holes when using the open tailgate as a workbench to clamp materials in place when cutting, drilling, sanding, etc.
Front-of-cabin storage includes dual bottle holders and a bin in each door, plus an overhead glasses holder and, on the passenger’s side, an open shelf with glove box below.
The centre console has open storage up front, a pair of small-bottle/cupholders in the centre and a lidded-box at the back which doubles as a driver’s elbow rest.
Rear seat passengers get a bottle holder and bin in each door, another bin in the rear of the centre console and a pocket on the front passenger seat’s backrest, but with no fold-down centre armrest there are no dedicated cupholders.
The one-piece seat base can also swing up and be stored vertically if more internal luggage space is required, or to access two large underfloor storage compartments.
Our test vehicle is the LWB (Long Wheel Base) powered exclusively by Toyota’s well proven 2.8 litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel. It’s available with either standard six-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic, like our example.
Painted in standard 'French Vanilla', it has a list price of $46,760, plus on-road costs, but ours is fitted with the new $750 Barn Door option which bumps the list price to $47,510.
It’s available on all LWB and SLWB (Super Long Wheel Base) variants except for the HiAce Crew, HiAce Commuter and LWB manual versions.
Our test vehicle is also the Panel Van variant, which means a buyer can order a full-panel left-hand side sliding door instead of the standard windowed version at no extra cost.
The HiAce comes ready for hard work on sturdy 16-inch steel wheels with replaceable plastic covers and 215/60R16 tyres plus a full-size spare, along with a large centre console offering a variety of storage options.
There are also useful creature comforts in the two-seater cabin like a tilt-and-reach adjustable leather-accented steering wheel, driver’s seat adjustable lumbar support, manual air-con, two 12-volt cabin accessory sockets, folding/heated exterior door mirrors with indicators, and more.
The two-speaker multimedia system has a big 8.0-inch touchscreen plus steering wheel audio controls and 'DAB+2' digital radio.
Multiple connectivity options include Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Siri voice recognition, Bluetooth, sat-nav and 'Toyota Connected Services', which includes an app for mobile phones and safety/security functions like 'Stolen Vehicle Tracking', 'Automatic Collision Notification', 'SOS Emergency Call', and more.
Our test vehicle is the 4x2 XL Hi-Rider dual cab ute, available only with a 2.0-litre single-turbo diesel engine and six-speed automatic transmission for a list price of $43,280.
Ours is also fitted with Ford’s optional 'Towing Pack', comprising a 3500kg tow-bar and integrated electronic trailer-brake controller, which adds $1700.
Beyond its 16-inch steel wheels with 255/70R16 tyres and full-size spare, there’s halogen daytime running lights (no fancy 'C-clamp' LEDs here folks), power-adjustable and folding door mirrors, a rear bumper step, load tub illumination, top-of-tub protective capping with access caps (see Practicality) plus a lift-assisted tailgate.
The no-frills cabin, with fabric seats and vinyl floor, offers the driver a height/reach-adjustable steering wheel, eight-way manually-adjustable seat (including lumbar support) and 8.0-inch colour digital instrument cluster with configurable display.
There are also three USB ports, two 12-volt outlets and a four-speaker multimedia system, with large 10-inch touchscreen and multiple connectivity including 'FordPass Connect' and Apple/Android devices.
Buyers also have access to numerous options, including the ‘XL 4x2 Off-Road Pack’ comprising a differential lock, steel underbody protection and larger 17-inch steel wheels with all-terrain tyres for those operating in the rough stuff.
HiAce’s venerable (1GD-FTV) 2.8 litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel produces 130kW at 3400rpm and in auto models like ours a meaty 450Nm of torque between 1600-2400rpm.
Maintenance procedures are simplified by its Euro 5 emissions compliance which doesn’t require AdBlue.
A smooth-shifting Aisin (AC60E) six-speed torque converter automatic optimises fuel economy with full converter lock-up on fourth, fifth and sixth gears, along with overdrive on fifth and sixth for relaxed highway driving. It also offers the choice of sequential manual-shifting if required.
The live rear axle is equipped with an electronically-controlled automatic limited-slip diff, which optimises the inherent traction advantage of rear-wheel drive.
The 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel with single turbocharger produces a healthy 125kW at 3500rpm and 405Nm of torque between 1750-2500rpm, which exceeds the outputs of 2.4-litre HiLux and 1.9-litre D-Max diesel rivals.
This engine is paired with a six-speed torque converter automatic, which offers the choice of sequential manual-shifting using a small thumb-operated toggle on the side of the shift-lever.
This can be handy when carrying and/or towing heavy loads, particularly in hilly terrain to minimise gear-hunting.
Toyota claims an official combined cycle average of 8.2L/100km.
After 215km of testing, without a load and with the automatic engine stop-start function switched off, our figure based on trip meter and fuel bowsers readings came in slightly higher at 9.8L/100km.
This single-digit economy was achieved purely in city and suburban driving, which is thrifty for a large commercial vehicle weighing more than two tonnes.
So, based on our figures, you could bank on a ‘real world’ driving range of around 700km from its 70-litre tank.
Ford claims official average combined cycle consumption of 7.8L/100km.
When we stopped to refuel at the end of our 493km test, which included a mix of suburban and highway driving of which about one fifth was carrying a heavy payload, the dash display was claiming 8.5L/100km.
This was very close to our own figure of 9.3, calculated from fuel bowser and trip meter readings, which confirmed thrifty single-digit economy in real-world driving conditions.
So, based on our own figures, the test vehicle should achieve an impressive driving range of around 860km from its big 80-litre tank.
The big front doors swing wide open to provide easy access to the cabin, where it’s easy to find a comfortable driving position given ample seat adjustment that includes lumbar support, plus a height-and-reach-adjustable wheel and big left footrest.
Responsive steering and strong braking, combined with a reasonably supple ride quality when empty or lightly loaded, makes for a comfortable daily work environment.
This is enhanced by commendably low internal noise levels for a van without a bulkhead between the cabin and cargo bay. We suspect the full-length roof lining helps here.
Like all panel vans, the solid-walled cargo bay creates a huge blind-spot over the driver’s left shoulder which can’t be avoided. And the central join of the barn doors obscures vision through the cabin’s rear-view mirror.
However, the portrait-shaped door mirrors are a decent size and combined with a suite of driver aids like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors and reversing camera, a competent driver can easily steer clear of trouble.
And it has easy manoeuvrability thanks to the tight 11-metre turning circle and lightness of the variable-ratio steering at parking speeds.
The 2.8-litre turbo-diesel has good flexibility with strong low-rpm response thanks to its ample 450Nm of torque.
The smooth and snappy shift protocols of the six-speed auto optimise engine response, which is most evident in stop-start city and suburban driving.
It also delivers relaxed and economical highway travel, particularly with the cruise control activated, with overdrive requiring less than 2000rpm to maintain 110km/h.
It’s easy to climb aboard with big assist-handles on the A and B pillars to compensate for the absence of side-steps.
The driving position is comfortable and spacious, with ample manual adjustments available in the seat and steering wheel.
It may be a back-to-basics workhorse but refinements in the latest Ranger generation have not been compromised.
The unladen ride quality is undeniably firm but still commendable, even on bumpy roads, given its leaf-spring rear axle and big payload rating.
The relatively light 4x2 kerb weight ensures brisk acceleration from standing starts, combined with steering feel that arguably remains the class benchmark.
We forklifted 890kg into the tub which with driver (and towing pack) was more than one tonne of payload.
The rear leaf springs compressed 50mm under this weight, but there was no chance of bottoming-out because of the rear suspension design that has long cone-shaped jounce rubbers that engage with the springs early in their compression.
This eliminates the hard thumps at full travel like traditional bump-stops and provide what is effectively a second stage of load support. The result is a smooth ride under maximum loads, regardless of road conditions.
The Ranger has ample performance in busy suburban driving and excels at highway speeds, with low engine, tyre and wind noise highlighting its excellent noise suppression.
It also made light work of hauling this load up our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km set climb at 60km/h, self-shifting down to third gear to easily reach the summit with minimal accelerator required.
Engine braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear, wasn’t as robust but typical of small displacement turbo-diesels trying to restrain big loads on steep descents.
The only negative was an alert that appeared on the driver’s info display, warning of a ‘front camera malfunction’ that would require servicing.
As a result, we were without pre-collision assist, adaptive cruise control or speed-limiter functions for the remainder of our test run, which fortunately occurred on the final day of our loan.
The current HiAce generation came armed with a maximum five-star ANCAP rating when launched in 2019 and still sets a safety benchmark.
There are seven airbags plus a plethora of active features including AEB with day/night pedestrian and day cyclist detection, trailer sway control, hill-start assist, lane departure alert with steering assist, road sign assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, and more.
The Ranger scored a maximum five-star ANCAP assessment in 2022 and boasts a suite of benchmark active and passive features.
In the base-grade XL this is highlighted by nine airbags, AEB, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and more.
For smaller crew members, there’s ISOFIX and top-tether child seat anchorage points on the two outer rear seating positions.
The HiAce is covered by a five-year/unlimited km warranty.
Scheduled servicing is set at relatively short six month/10,000km intervals, whichever occurs first.
Capped-price of $290 per service covers the first six scheduled services over three years or 60,000km.
Warranty is five years/unlimited km.
Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first.
Capped-price servicing for the first five scheduled services totals $1911 or an average of $382 per service.