Review of the new Toyota Verso Range

What do people look for in a compact, seven-seater mini-MPV for the family? Good build quality, neat packaging, a versatile seating system, a reputation for reliability and a choice of frugal engines? Toyota's Verso certainly ticks all those boxes.

Toyota's no-nonsense approach to car design works better in some sectors of the market than others but the MPV people-carrying category is one of those where it fits perfectly. MPV buyers have families and the things that matter to them are having enough space to fit the kids inside, having an interior that the little blighters won't pull to pieces and having running costs that won't eat into those children's inheritance when hopefully, they one day become older and more sensible. The Toyota Verso has never been very sporty or stylish but it has always filled these key criteria very well indeed.

The second generation version which sold between 2004 and 2008 started life as a development of the old Corolla family hatchback, which was one reason why it felt a bit cramped at the back when Toyota fitted it with seven seats. This MK3 model is much more its own car, slightly bigger so that all those seats are more usable and now arguably the safest and cheapest to run alternative in a compact MPV class that includes cars as good as Citroen's C4 Grand Picasso, Peugeot's 5008 and Renault's Grand Scenic.

One of the issues with the second generation Verso was the car-like driving position that saw you sitting quite low, not something MPV buyers tend to like. This one doesn't perch you up 4x4-style, but you do get much more of the kind of commanding view out that you'd expect from this kind of car. Ironically though, the less sporty seating stance is now accompanied by more dynamic road manners. No, it's not a car you'd go out and drive for the fun of it but firm body control with plenty of grip mean it's easy to manoeuvre and more reassuring in corners than you'd expect from something relatively high-sided like this. The electric power steering system is particularly good, a clever variable assistance affair into which Toyota has developed a function that detects steering inputs that are too forceful and acts to smooth them out by reducing the amount of power assistance.

"This is a prime example of Toyota doing what it does so well.."

Mainstream Verso ownership will see you choosing between 1.6 or 1.8-litre petrol engines and 2.0 or 2.2-litre D-4D diesels, all developing power outputs in the 125-150bhp bracket that's common to this class of car. The Valvematic petrol engines rev sweetly but are less relaxed than their diesel alternatives and, as you'd expect, deliver significantly less pulling power. Hence our choice of the 124bhp 2.0-litre D-4D unit that most owners will probably choose for this test. On paper, a rest to sixty figure of 11.3s makes it about a second slower to sixty than the 1.8-litre petrol alternative. In practice, the fact that it develops a significant 30Nm of torque more and does it at the bottom of the rev range rather than the top means that it feels a far more willing companion in day-to-day motoring. The diesel engine also perfectly complements this car's demeanour as an exceptionally refined long distance cruiser.

This car's styling signature is contained within the novel creases that run along the flanks of its bodywork, from the bottom of the front bumper through the lower parts of the doors and then up towards the rear tailgate is a distinctive swoop. The rear light clusters are particularly attractive with their circles of LED brake lights with indicators in the centre. Inside, the design team have tried to use the same curvy styling theme, the centre console and the central instrument pod sitting on top of a wavy backdrop.

What's most important however is that this 7-seater Toyota is bigger than its predecessor, though not so large that it can begin to compete with Ford Galaxy or Renault Espace-sized large MPVs from the next class up. Most prospective buyers looking for something nimble enough to twirl around a tight urban environment probably wouldn't want that anyway. Still, the extra 70mm in length and 20mm in width is very welcome, even if it still isn't quite enough for a couple of full-grown adults to be properly comfortable if they're sat in the third row: that requires some legroom compromises from middle-seat occupants. Where you do feel the benefit however, is in those times when you need bootspace and all three rows of seats are in use. In this configuration, the MK2 Verso offered you a paltry 63-litres of luggage room, a figure upped to a far more usable 155-litres in this MK3 version.

This, along with 1645-litre total luggage capacity and 1830mm of total load area length with second and third row seats folded flat, does remain less than you'd get from obvious rivals but the space that is on offer is at least very easy to access thanks to the simple and effective Easy Flat-7 seating system. It's a pity that the centre seating row doesn't tumble forward or come out altogether, but at least each of the three chairs can be folded, slid backwards or forwards (to create or reduce legroom or luggage space of the area behind) or reclined for longer journeys. A nice design improvement on this MK3 model is the way that the outer seats in this middle row automatically return to their previous position after you've folded them to allow passengers into the rear. All the rear seats can be folded individually to create a

List prices suggest that you'll be paying somewhere in the £17,000 to £22,500 bracket for your Verso. You may find that this is anything between £500 to £1,500 more than obvious rivals like Vauxhall's Zafira, Renault's Grand Scenic, Citroen's C4 Grand Picasso and Volkswagen's Touran but it pays to closely check the specification that you're getting in each case.

Toyota has piled on the safety equipment with the third generation Verso and the most notable inclusion is VSC+ stability control as standard across the range as opposed to something only found on premium variants. 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 (including cabin-length window 'bags) and active front headrests. Another safety innovation sees energy absorbing pads on the doors that help soak up an impact and reduce injuries. All Verso models also receive underfloor storage, a boot organiser and a second rear view mirror that can be trained on unruly kids. As you'd expect, there are features like air conditioning, electric windows and mirrors and steering wheel controls for the CD stereo.

Size and weight are two things the Verso has plenty of but its advanced engines still manage to yield class-leading economy and emissions figures thanks to Toyota's Optimal Drive technology. This has been used in this generation model to boost power across the range by up to 20% while lowering fuel economy and emissions by 12%. As a result, both petrol engines return around 40mpg on the combined cycle with CO2 emissions in the low 160s. This version's 2.0-litre diesel engine emits just 140g/km of CO2, making it one of the cleanest units of its kind, while the 2.2-litre chips in with 41.5mpg and 178g/km. If these figures don't help you to recoup the slight premium you'll pay for Verso ownership over obvious rivals, then residual values should. These see this car retain between 38-42% of its original purchase price after three years or 36,000 miles: compare that to the 26-28% you'll get from a Renault Grand Scenic.

Never a car to overly impress the casual onlooker, Toyota's Verso is most appealing to the real experts of the compact MPV market, buyers with families who put these vehicles through their paces day in and day out. Well built, user-friendly, reliable and economical, this third generation model really has these important qualities nailed down.

This is a prime example of Toyota doing what it does so well. Other compact MPVs might leap off the showroom floor at you with their gimmicks and technology but how many are as good as the Verso at getting a family efficiently from A to B, keeping the balance sheet healthy and making you feel good about the whole thing at the end of the day? Exactly.

TOP 3 VERSO DEALS

The results below show the top VERSO deals on buyacar

Toyota Verso 2.0 D-4D TR Pan Rf 5dr diesel estate
Price £15,980 Read Verso Reviews	Save £5,365
Toyota Verso 2.2 D-CAT TR 5dr Auto diesel estate
Price £19,980 Read Verso Reviews	Save
Toyota Verso 1.6 V-matic TR Pan Rf 5dr [5 Seats] estate
Price £14,980 Read Verso Reviews	Save £4,075
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