Toyota, PSA Team Up For Some Euro Van Action
Toyota and PSA announced Tuesday that they would continue to build a van for European markets for light commercial and passenger duty and unveiled their newest Toyota Proace/Peugeot Traveller/Citroen SpaceTourer eggs.
The three vans, which look virtually identical short of their shades and faces, are all produced at PSA’s factory in Valenciennes, France.
While the Toyota version looks like one of those samurai crabs, it’ll likely never set foot in the U.S. and that’s a shame — commercial vans are the new hot thing for automakers, you know?
According to our own Tim Cain, Ford sold more than 5,800 Transit Connect vans in October alone — good enough for third place among all commercial vans. Toyota could horn in on some of that fun by bringing over a Proace to challenge Ford, Nissan, Ram and Chevrolet for the mid-size commercial market.
Toyota and PSA began the van partnership in 2012 and the new models will reportedly continue the alliance past 2020.
Toyota’s version of the van is powered by either a 1.6- or 2-liter diesel engine and mated to a five- or six-speed manual transmission and oh my hell we’re never going to see that in the States ever are we?
I hope Toyota gets my letter because the Proace is probably the only shot we have at getting a French-built car in the U.S. any time soon — or at least one that you can drive on the highway.
More by Aaron Cole
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For a Toyota, it doesnt look half bad (lower bunper seems a bit fussy). Id take it over a Sienna for sure!
After reading the comments, I'm more interested in the Ford TC than I already was. No sense in hand wringing over what isn't here. Liked the TC when I fist saw it. Would make a decent camper.