VERSO BY NAME – VERSATILE BY NATURE
02 July 2009 - Toyota

New seven-seat Toyota Verso

It is the holiday season when the family MPV really comes into its own whether families are transporting themselves and luggage to an airport or for a drive to and from a holiday venue. Sales of new MPVs have not been strong in the last year due to the recession but now summer sales, particularly of medium sized used ones, are healthy according to my trade sources.

Having just come back from a few days in sunny Cornwall I can vouch for the fact that young couples with pre-school age children, couples without offspring and older couples, most with dogs, are now using mid-sized MPVs and this seems to be their solution to versatile and cost effective family transport. The previously popular SUV/4x4s were not much in evidence this year, except for a few towing caravans. It appears those users who still need a spacious mode of family transport have ditched the 4x4 and gone to the mid-sized MPV, new and used.

A new MPV on the scene, replacing the previous one, is the seven-seat Toyota Verso and it now has a bespoke platform, it is roomier and no longer an extension of a C-sector existing model range. Previously it was the Corolla Verso, now it is just Verso and it is much better for that in the style stakes. It looks aerodynamic and relatively sporty – certainly it has a younger image.
It features the latest Toyota Optimal Drive technology to reduce fuel consumption, increase power and still produce less CO2. The new option of a 2.0-litre diesel engine to the latest range, rather than the just the single 2.2-litre diesel unit, will also add appeal and there is further choice with the new1.8-litre Valvematic petrol engine. There is T2, TR and T Sprit levels of specification and around 70% of customers will choose the middle TR level for equipment and trim.

Priced from £16,750, a Toyota Verso, seven-seat, five-door MPV with improvements in driving dynamics, quality, specification and 5-star Euro NCAP safety looks to be a smart purchase, if an MPV is what you need.

Families through to ‘empty-nesters’ to mini-cab drivers all use MPVs because of their load and passenger carrying versatility so there will always be a market for such vehicles – our needs do not change that much in the real world. It might mean that today we do not buy a new vehicle as often, but an MPV remains an important model. If it’s more rewarding to drive then that is an advantage, because for many just mentioning an MPV can be boring.
Toyota does not sell huge numbers of Verso models and they see around 4,500 of the new model being delivered to UK customers this year, the majority diesel, so for £18,950 a Verso 2.0D-4D 6-speed manual TR is the optimum model.

Currently prices go up to £20,675 for the top specification version and prices are yet to be released for the 2.2-litre diesel model which comes only with automatic transmission later in the year.

My test model was the £18,750 Verso TR 1.8-litre petrol with a CVT automatic transmission, probably not the most popular single model in the range but useful because of the auto option and a likely choice for the older or less able driver.
Toyota designers might have visited, amongst other places, IKEA car parks where they interviewed shoppers to get their ideas on what a midsized family MPV must offer, but in truth the new Verso is not much different to any other well made mid-sized people-carrier.

The vehicle accommodates up to seven people with three rows of seats. The seats easily fold flat if required to form a level load floor and the doors are wide opening for easy access. All normal stuff. The reliability and build quality, because it is a Toyota, is first class and forward and side large glass areas make visibility almost perfect. The rear quarter windows though are small and visibility is not good in this area. Even though my test model was fitted with a rear view reversing camera I would still insist on the option of front and rear parking distance sensors which I found I needed squeezing the vehicle in and out of busy Cornish harbour-side car parks.

The 1.8-litre Valvematic petrol engine is new and uses lift and duration control to the variable timing of the inlet valves delivering more power for less fuel and less CO2 emissions. Power over the old 1.8-VVT-I unit is up by 18bhp to 145bhp, torque increases by 10Nm to 180Nm at 4,600rpm, CO2 emissions are down 19g/km to 164g/km and officially fuel consumption in the combined cycle improves from 36.7 to 40.4mpg. My £18750 1.8 TR test car was almost right on the button with an average 35.8mpg for typical holiday driving, motorways, main roads and hilly Cornish lanes and what’s more can I remind you this was with a CVT auto gearbox. So I was impressed and for most non-business users I reckon the cost saving on the purchase price when compared to a diesel powered Verso means the 1.8-litre petrol unit is really a better buy.

The petrol engine was lively, it revved freely, it was generally pretty responsive and for most retail, low to medium mileage users, will be the best choice. The £150 road tax bill is not too bad either. My only slight criticism concerns the CVT transmission because it tended to hold onto lower gears longer than necessary whilst overtaking or climbing hills. But with the instrument panel Eco light showing green most of the time the petrol engine/auto CVT seemed to work well together.

The handling was safe and secure; the ride comfort was very good with the suspension tuned to the soft end of the range. This is a combination that real-life customers want rather than firm, hard and tiring ride qualities seemingly loved by some go-faster members of the motoring media. In reality customers want comfort and a non-tiring travel experience. The Verso gives you that. Road noise intrusion is marginally higher than I would have liked.
The steering is perfectly predictable but it doesn’t give much feedback to the driver. It just gets slowly on with the job and it is consistent no matter what the road surface is.

The Easy-Flat 7 seating is exactly that, easy to use, ease to fold, seven seats in three rows and any combinations in between. The rear two rows of seats fold down to create a completely flat load floor, great for two people and their activity equipment or the family dog and so on. In truth most seven-seat MPVs have the rear row used only rarely when guests need to travel and most families like the five serest layout and then loads of extra luggage space. It means no drag-inducing roof boxes. However leg space in the rear row is very limited so they are for occasional use. However the legroom for the three middle seats is very good. The new Verso is a very comfortable five-seater (occasional seven) with lots of load space all in a body 4,440mm in length, 1,790mm wide and1,620mm high so it will go into multi-story car parks or normal sized domestic garages.
All in all the new Toyota Verso is a sound and safe buy. Well equipped from the bottom model up with most of the usual items such as electric windows and door mirrors plus air conditioning, alloy road wheels, Vehicle Stability Assist and traction control as well. The interior plastic trim looked drab but it is wipe-clean and functional.

The Verso may not be exciting but it is fit-for-purpose and after all it is a Toyota.

MILESTONES. Toyota Verso TR 1.8 V-matic, M-drive S auto with Optimal Drive. Price: £18,750. Engine/transmission: 1.8-litre, variable valve opening, four cylinder, petrol, 145bhp, 180Nm, CVT auto. Performance: 115mph, 0-62mph 11.1 seconds, 40.4mpg (35.8mpg actual), CO2 164g/km, new VED Band G £150. BIK tax: 21%. Insurance group: 7E. Dimensions: L 4,440mm, W 1,790mm, H 1,630mm, Load area 178-1,696-litres. For: Wider range of models, improved fuel economy, lower CO2 emissions, new fuel efficient 1.8-litre petrol engine with CVT auto transmission option, clever and easy to use fold-a-way seating, comfortable ride, comprehensive safety equipment, strong residual values. Against: Small boot with rear row of seats in use, very limited rear row seating legroom, some cheap interior plastics, tyre noise intrusion is too high.

Miles Better News Agency

http://www.toyota.co.uk

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