Toyota Verso-S is a small 5-seat MPV with big ambitions.
The new Verso-S should not be confused with the larger Corolla Verso, but be seen as the spiritual replacement for the quirky Yaris Verso. The tall van-like Yaris Verso was an odd-looking car that lacked any visual appeal. Despite that, it had a loyal following. From 1999 to 2005 Yaris Verso attracted a total of 925 proud owners in Ireland and 150,000 throughout Europe.
Verso-S is basically a supermini estate car with a high roof. Its main rivals would be Nissan’s Note, Opel’s Meriva, Citroen’s C3 Picasso and Kia’s Venga, to name just a few. On the outside Verso-S features lots of curves and creases in the bodywork but overall fails to inspire much emotion unlike its sibling, the chunky and cute-looking Toyota Urban Cruiser.
Verso-S is clearly not about looks – so what is it about? Toyota says the S stands for Small, Spacious & Smart. Insdide the cabin is indeed spacious and versatile. The seating can fold to make a flat load floor and the boot can swallow a lot of luggage. There are 19 storage areas in the cabin and seven airbags as standard. The driver gets a good driving position and some new toys to play with on high-spec versions, like the new ‘Touch’ media interface. This new 6.1 inch touch screen stereo is packed with features like bluetooth audio, iPod/MP3 USB connectivity and, coming in May, a Sat/Nav option (circa €550) called ‘Touch & Go’. There’s also a reversing camera.
For now all Irish cars come with just one engine, a 1.33 litre petrol VVTi with a manual gearbox or optional CVT automatic transmission. The auto falls into tax band ‘A’, while the manual falls into the higher tax band ‘B’. Verso-S is available in Europe with stop/start but there is no CO2/tax saving in Ireland with it so initially it will not be brought in. The trim grades are Terra (€16,995), Luna (€19,995) and Sol (€22,135) topping the range. Sol gets all the toys plus a huge glass roof.
On the road the Verso-S does suffer a little from its height as crosswinds can upset it. The 99bhp engine is eager and revy and best suited to town use but it can still hold its own on the open road. The six-speed manual gearbox helps you make decent progress but at times I found myself searching for seventh or even eight gear! A CVT automatic is available, called ‘Multi Drive’, in Luna and Sol grades (€21,175/€23,085). It has seven artificial gears which you can manually select using the steering wheel paddles or the gear lever. This gearbox is best used making manual shifts with the ‘Sport’ button pressed. If you wish you can simply leave it in ‘D’ and let it do the work for you - I suspect most owners of an automatic in this sector will want that. It handles well for what it is and all the controls fall easily to hand.
Verso-S is for those who need a practical, functional car that takes up little road space and doesn’t draw too much attention to itself.
Toyota Ireland expects to sell 200 examples this year through 56 dealerships.
Michael Sheridan
