Despite a penchant for strappy shoes and dresses that require dieting and talcum powder to get into and sticky tape to remain decent in, I do have a very practical side. As much as I like a roadster or a sports coupe, I always find myself hesitating when faced with the prospect of actually handing over the readies for one. In short, I need a car that can do it all. It needs to be entertaining to drive, well built, reliable, capable of seating a whole bunch of friends and, as the inner aesthete emerges again, it can't look as if it's fallen from the ugly tree and clouted every branch on the way down. As much as I respected Toyota's old Corolla Verso, it was always that tad too frumpy for my tastes. The latest one is a different matter. Toyota have not only made it a good deal more practical but it's now one of the best looking of its ilk. No longer will you look as if you're road testing a development mule for the next Popemobile. This was something I could grow to like.

This class of car splits according to whether it can seat five or seven people. Fortunately the Verso falls into the latter category, neatly sidestepping the inevitable "so what's the point?" questions directed at five-seat mini MPVs. Uniquely in its class, all five rear seats fold down into the floor to create a totally flat loading surface. This means that you won't need to haul heavy seats into and out of the car if ultimate carrying capacity is required. A lot of thought has gone into this system, the seats not only being the lightest in class but also requiring a simple one-touch operation to fold each one flat.

The interior looks impressively sharp, with tighter manufacturing tolerances meaning panel fits are better. As with all manufacturers, Toyota worked hard at getting the 'door slam' sound exactly right and the combination of carefully sited hinges and clever air sealing makes the Verso sound more impregnable than Fort Knox when you slam the doors shut. The materials used throughout the cabin have been thoroughly upgraded too with a combination of metallic finishes to accentuate the centre console. The design majors on geometric shapes and three-dimensional elements to render an arch like effect. It's quite unlike any other Toyota interior and marks a new design direction that's surprisingly bold for a model that will be marketed to some of the most conservative new car customers. It's spot on for somebody like me though. There are four engines to choose from, a 109bhp 1.6-litre entry-level car, a 1.8-litre that packs 127bhp and the 2.2-litre D-4D. The 2.2-litre D4-D found in the range topping models comes with 134bhjp as standard or 175bhp in the sporty T180 model. I'd opted for the 2.0-litre D4-D and it's a smooth yet lively engine that also turns in excellent fuel economy and emissions figures.

I challenge anyone to find a Toyota Verso difficult to live with. It just makes everything so easy and before too long you start wondering how you got by without one. In a case of life imitating art, my friends began arguing over who would be the nominated driver on a girl's night out. This car has come a long way.