Review of the new Toyota Verso 2.2 D-CAT 150

Toyota has a very distinct approach to car design which doesn't always go down particularly well in certain sectors of the UK market. With other types of vehicle, the Toyota method seems a perfect fit. Compact MPVs, for example, need to be solid, reliable and practical and that's the kind of thing that Toyota does best. Its Verso people carrier displays all these qualities and is available with the 2.2-litre D-CAT diesel engine matched to a six-speed automatic gearbox. That should make it efficient and user-friendly too.

A main attraction of a diesel engine in a family car is its fuel efficiency but you'll pay higher prices for the pleasure of burning oil compared to petrol, so you need to cover enough mileage to make the sums add up. When that diesel engine is then mated to an automatic gearbox, the edge can be taken off its economy while the price tends to rise further making the package that bit harder to justify on financial grounds. The simplicity of a good automatic is obviously highly desirable in a car like the Verso but Toyota has taken steps to ensure that it doesn't come at the expense of low running costs and an affordable sticker price with its Verso 2.2 D-CAT.

Toyota's 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine has been around for a while. In this guise, it has 148bhp which is generated at just 3,600rpm. The maximum torque of 340Nm is produced similarly low in the rev-range at 2,000rpm, so there should be no lack of urge even when the Verso is loaded with a full complement of seven passengers. The 0-60mph acceleration time for the engine is just over 10 seconds even with the six-speed automatic doing the shifting for you and in general, the Verso serves up a very comfortable and composed drive.

The interior is where it all happens in a car like this and Toyota has made a number of improvements to its simple and effective Easy Flat-7 seating system to ensure that family life runs smoothly. The seats do pretty much what it says on the tin in that there are seven of them and they're easy to fold flat. Each of the five rear seats can be folded individually to create a level load floor, opening up no fewer than 32 seating permutations for the vehicle. On the latest model, the outer seats in the middle row automatically return to their previous position after being folded to allow passenger access to the rear, while those rear seats can also be reclined a little. The old Verso had a paltry 63-litres of boot space with all the seats occupied but this model ups that to 178-litres and with all the seats down, there's a 1,830mm maximum load length to be exploited.

"The Verso is a highly impressive compact MPV, thoughtfully designed and built with real solidity"

This car is immediately recognisable as a Toyota Verso by anyone who has seen one of the Verso's previous iterations. It's always been one of the brand's more attractive efforts, which isn't saying too much, and that continues with some sharper angles around the front end and a distinctive crease running from the roof at the rear down the back door and above the sills to the front bumper. The rear light clusters are particularly attractive with their circles of LED brake lights with indicators in the centre. The Verso is bigger than ever in this latest form having gained 70mm in length and 20mm in width over its predecessor. The height remains unchanged for a lower and more planted overall look.

With a 2.2-litre diesel engine and an automatic gearbox, it's no surprise to learn that the 2.2-litre D-CAT is the range-topping model in the Verso line-up. It's over £1,500 more than the 2.0-litre D-4D diesel engine that sits below it in the range with a manual gearbox: that powerplant is around 10mpg more economical. This gives buyers a decision to make about how highly they value the extra convenience of the self-shifting option.

Both TR and T-Spirit versions of the 2.2-litre D-CAT Verso are available. All models receive air-conditioning, the Easy Flat-7 seating system, 17" alloy wheels, electric heated door mirrors and electric windows but the T-Spirit has climate control, keyless entry and start, cruise control, automatic wipers and a rear parking camera.

Toyota has piled on the safety equipment with the latest Verso and the most notable inclusion is VSC+ stability control as standard. This can correct skids by distributing power and applying the brakes to individual wheels and is a real bonus on this family vehicle. Elsewhere there's HAC Hill-start Assist Control, seven airbags and active front headrests.

The D-CAT portion of this model's name refers to Toyota's Diesel Clean Advanced Technology which doesn't tell you a whole lot but is actually a very clever particulate filter designed to catch harmful emissions before they make it out into the atmosphere. It's a four-way catalyst that filters the exhaust gasses for particulate matter and Nitrogen Oxides then cleans itself intermittently by burning them off. It helps the Verso D-CAT achieve extremely low emissions of these substances and combined with CO2 emissions of 178g/km, goes towards making this a very clean vehicle for a seven-seat diesel automatic. Combined cycle fuel economy is 41.5mpg.

Toyota's reputation for producing reliable and durable vehicles is well deserved and is a key reason why the Verso continues to prove popular. Residual values stack-up strongly thanks to the high regard in which the manufacturer is held and insurance is a reasonable group 8.

There's usually a cost attached to fitting an automatic gearbox both in the upfront price and in the reduction in fuel economy but Toyota has done its best to minimise the financial and environmental penalties with its Verso 2.2 D-CAT. This advanced diesel engine with the D-CAT particulate filter keeps emissions manageable while the price premium isn't so great considering the extra muscle served up by the 2.2-litre unit.

In the end, it still comes down to how much you want a self-shifting Verso but many will be keen to take the plunge. The Verso is a highly impressive compact MPV, thoughtfully designed and built with real solidity.

TOP 3 VERSO DEALS

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Toyota Verso 2.0 D-4D TR Pan Rf 5dr diesel estate
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