Toyota in the van of bringing back car-style commercial

Toyota Corolla Commercial drive by Steve Rogers

It looks like a Toyota Corolla, drives like a Corolla, but open the passenger doors and it is a very different story.

No rear bench seat, just a sturdy steel mesh frame behind the front seats and a solid flat floor. This Corolla Touring Sports is a van.

It is the brainchild of the Professional Commercial team at the company’s Burnaston plant at Derby where Corolla is built and has been such a success in the UK that it is likely to filter into other markets.

Why is it so significant? Since the Vauxhall Astra van was dropped nearly a decade ago there has been nothing to replace it, Ford and Vauxhall preferring to covert the smaller Fiesta and Corsa. Corolla Touring Sports (estate to most people) does not just fill the void it goes a whole lot further because this is the first van with a full self charging hybrid electric power train.

For small traders and delivery drivers this is a godsend. Switching to electric is not always feasible when long journeys have to be interrupted by recharging but Corolla should be good for well over 500 miles on a full tank thanks to its near 60mpg average, plus some electric only driving around town, while low emissions reduce the carbon footprint.

The story behind Corolla Commercial is this. It runs along the normal Touring Sports production line, same body, suspension, engine, CVT gearbox, but comes off before the rear is trimmed with seating and seat belts. In goes a steel bulkhead, plywood floor and thick rubber mat.

The side rear windows are opaque, covered in a thick black film, and the electric window switches are just for show. UK regulations do not allow for the car to be converted back its original use. The only tell-tale sign that this is a van are the steel wheels.

If you are thinking the van is devoid of creature comforts fear not. It is based on the entry Touring Sports and comes with electric windows, climate control, reversing camera, auto dipping LED lights, and heated seats, along with Toyota’s Safety Sense active safety and driver assistance features.

Sat nav is not fitted but the majority of delivery drivers are happy to sync their mobile phone ap to the touchscreen via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, an operation that takes a few seconds.

Performance from the 1.8 litre petrol is adequate and as nothing has been done to beef up the suspension for commercial use drivers enjoy the same comfort as the Touring Sport. A small drawback is extra noise from the empty load area.

That load area is quite generous with a capacity of 1326 litres and a front to back length of around 170cm so not far off six feet. The ply floor is hinged halfway for access to a large spare wheel shaped well which would take quite a few additional packages. It would be wise to cover the bumper when loading because over time it will get scratched.

If there is a downside to this car conversion it is the modest payload of 425kg while the 750kg towing capacity is no more than a small trailer.

The car comes with a three year warranty but this can be extended free to 10 years or 100,000 miles provided the car is serviced on time at a Toyota dealership.

Toyota tested the water with established customers who gave it enthusiastic support and this is the result.

Commercial has transformed the Touring Sport into a lightweight, comfortable, well equipped workhorse and is a good choice for the small trader/delivery driver who wants low running costs without switching to full electric.

Fast facts

Corolla Commercial CVT hybrid

£22,590

1.8 litre hybrid;120bhp

0-62mph 11.1secs; 112mph

55.6-61.4mpg combined

105g/km. 1st tax £160

Load space: 1326 litres

Payload 425kg

Insurance group 27

Pengwern families get to grips with a prickly subject

* Above and below: children work on the hedgehog project at Pengwern. 

It may be a prickly subject, but hedgehogs were the centre of attention at a recent event hosted in Llangollen, set up to increase awareness of the need for habitats in the county. 

The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’s Our Picturesque Landscape Project team put on a hedgehog focused event at Llangollen, as part of Denbighshire County Council’s response to the climate and ecological emergency. 

A number of families attended the recently renovated community centre in Pengwern  in Llangollen to learn about everything hedgehog related and to hear about local work to support the animals. 

Hedgehog numbers have reduced over the last 20 years and the Hedgehog Preservation Society suggest there are a number of reasons for this. 

One of the biggest is nature depletion, the loss of hedgerows and other areas suitable for hedgehogs. As their names suggest, hedgehogs like to live in and around hedgerows and use them to travel between different areas. 

Where households have fences around their gardens rather than hedges it reduces the distance the hedgehogs can travel, limiting their food and mating options. Unfortunately, the insects and other invertebrates that hedgehogs eat have also reduced because of hedgerow loss, gardening practises and use of pesticides. 

Many hedgehogs are found injured or unwell each year. They are most often rescued by members of the public who take them to charities such as Hedgehog Help Prestatyn. The rescue staff nurse them back to health and support them being released back into the wild. 

The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Our Picturesque Landscape project have previously welcomed rehabilitated hedgehogs to the grounds of Plas Newydd in Llangollen.  The hedgehogs are supported with a hedgehog house and food for their first few nights and then begin their new lives exploring the Llangollen area. 

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Protecting our native wildlife is incredibly important. Educating our young people and families in how to create the best habitat for hedgehogs to live happily will help to increase their numbers and reduce the number of sick and injured hedgehogs going to rescues. 

“Our wildflower meadows and tree nursery help to increase the food available to hedgehogs as well as many other birds and animals which rely on these habitats."

MS welcomes health board's progress on rapid treatment centres

Sam Rowlands,  Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, says he is pleased to see the health board making progress on setting up Rapid Treatment Centres across his region. 

He said: “I am delighted to hear that the North Wales health board is putting together a business case to set up centres across my region to transform planned care services.

 

“The proposals for RTCs, which are also being considered in England, will also speed up access to care and provide improved transport services for patients which is something we badly need in my region.

 

“I support any moves which will ultimately lead to a better NHS service for the people of North Wales and welcome this latest initiative.”

In an update from BCUHB they said that they were currently carrying out detailed work to develop a robust outline business case which, when completed, will be submitted to Welsh Government for scrutiny and approval.

The business case will allow them to explore a range of options in terms of the number, scale and location of the RTCs.

 The RTCs will develop new pathways to transform planned care services, improve the quality of ambulatory patient care and speed of access as well as improving service resilience and efficiency.

 They will provide services for patients on an urgent cancer pathway, as well as those who may have vague symptoms but need access to appropriate diagnostics and clinical input. RTCs will also provide ambulatory services for patients requiring diagnosis and treatment as a day case.

Although the locations for these new RTCs has not yet been determined, the health board say they are committed to ensuring good engagement and communication with the public of North Wales as the plans develop.

They will be communicating with patients, parents and stakeholders to share more information about this major new development in health care.

Special event at Dory Gallery tonight

 

Town gathers for annual Remembrance Service and parade

* Standards are lowered to honour the fallen.

* A cloud of poppies is released from above the square. Picture by Andrei Daniel. 

* The service organisations march into the square at the start of the ceremony.

* Father Lee Taylor leads the service.

* One of the standard bearers. Picture by Andrei Daniel.

* The Silver Band's bugler sounds Last Post. 

* Llangollen county councillor Karen Edwards lays her wreath.

* Chairman Phil Strouds lays a wreath on behalf of Llangollen Royal British Legion.

 * Scouts come forward to lay their wreath.

* Llangollen Silver band leads the parade through town.

* Service organisations in the parade.

* Scouts march along Castle Street.

Crowds gathered for Llangollen's annual Remembrance Service and parade this morning (Sunday).

The service in Centenary Square was led by Father Lee Taylor of St Collen's Church and included the traditional two minutes' silence at 11am and the sounding of Last Post and Reveille by a bugler.

Various local organisations, including Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force Cadets, laid poppy wreaths on the war memorial as the names of the fallen of two world wars were read out.

The parade which followed, led by Llangollen Silver Band, made its way through the town centre.

* Councillor Shea Ferron lays his wreath on behalf of the council and people of the town.

* In the absence of the Town Mayor, Cllr Shea Ferron laid the wreath on behalf of the Town Council and the people of Llangollen. 

This marked an historic moment in the life of Llangollen Town Council as Cllr Ferron is the youngest ever Town Councillor to sit on the Town Council.

At just 19 years old Cllr Ferron was appointed in May of this year. The former student of Ysgol Dinas Bran is currently studying Performing Art at the Institute for Contemporary Theatre Manchester. 

The new legislation that requires remote access to Council meetings allows Cllr Ferron to continue to make a positive contribution to the work of the Town Council by physically attending Council meetings when home and joining online when studying.

Roadworks alert for Bridge Street

 

Latest local roadworks alert from one.network is:

Bridge Street, Denbighshire 14 November - 15 November   Roadworks, Delays likely   Traffic management: Road closure   Description: Laying duct across FW and CW...   Works location: 2 CHAPEL STREET LLANGOLLEN LL20 8NW...   Public facing description: one.network has automatically assigned a category of Unclassified works to this Works based on the information available. Please note: Works Descriptions are not published by Openreach.   Responsibility for works: Openreach   Current status: Advanced planning   Works reference: BC005OP1W00000WD9WLL5HRC

Service commemorates official end of First World War

* Father Lee Taylor leads the Armistice Day service.

* The Legion standard is lowered to honour the fallen. 

* People gather to watch the service taking place.

* Legion chairman Phil Stroud presides over the ceremony.

* The schoolchildren from Birmingham watch the ceremony.

Llangollen branch of the Royal British hosted the annual Armistice Day Service in Centenary Square this morning (Friday).

This traditionally marks the day and time - 11m on November 11, 1918 - when the First World War officially came to an end.

The service included the lowering of the Legion standard as a salute to the fallen.

The service was led by Father Lee Taylor from St Collen's Church and the ceremony presided over by Phil Stroud, chairman of the local Legion branch.  

The ceremony was watched by a large group of children from a school in Birmingham who were visiting the town.

The annual Service of Remembrance has been organised by the Town Council and will be held this Sunday November 13, starting at 10.45am.  

The parade will muster on Market Street car park at 10.30am.