The Verso mini-MPV is precisely the kind of vehicle that Toyota seems to specialise in these days. Impeccably constructed, faultlessly reliable and overwhelmingly fit for purpose. As for a dash of style into the bargain, well you can have that too if you opt for the recently improved sporty SR model.

Smarter 16-inch alloy wheels, a new roof spoiler and parking sensors front and rear with a dashboard indicator - all are now part of the SR offering. You can also expect an in-dash CD changer and rear privacy glass, in total £845-worth of additional features. It's a useful package of extra equipment designed to add even more value to the sales proposition, yet the pricing hasn't changed. Toyota are asking £17,545 for a 1.8-litre VVT-i petrol-powered Verso SR and you'll need to cross the salesman's palm with £18,620 for the 2.2-litre D-4D 140 diesel engine. That represents a useful £1,155 saving compared to a similarly specified T3 model in the standard range, yet you still get desirable T3 features like dual-zone climate-controlled air conditioning, a leather steering wheel with audio controls, front and rear electric windows and cruise control.

Other features include electric heated door mirrors, a trip computer, fog lights and Toyota's Easy Flat system which sounds like one of those abdominal exercise routines but actually allows the rear seats to be simply folded flat to the floor. Front and rear parking sensors come as standard and in this latest SR, the dashboard also features a proximity indicator giving a clear display of how close the car is to any other vehicle or obstacle. The improvement the SR makes to the look of the Verso isn't dramatic but it is tangible. If you want more, there's always the range-topping T180 Verso which looks sportier still but not too much. You'll need nearly £22,000 for that derivative though and as an affordable but good looking mid-range option, the SR has enough about it to make an impact.

"The improvement the SR makes to the look of the Verso isn't dramatic but it is tangible"

The choice Verso SR buyers face between petrol and diesel is an interesting one. You either save money up front and get the cheaper petrol or save money over the long term by picking the more economical diesel. The average economy figure for the petrol model is 36.7mpg and the diesel manages 44.8mpg. The price differential is roughly £1,000 so you'll need to cover a fair bit of mileage in the diesel before you're in the black but there is an extra dimension to this decision making progress.

There isn't a huge amount of difference in the 0-60mph performance of the two engines. The petrol unit achieves a 10.8s time and the diesel manages 9.4s. You don't buy a Toyota Verso with half an eye on the drag strip though, so these figures are largely irrelevant. It's much better to look at the torque output of the two engines where you'll discover a big difference between the petrol engine's 170Nm at 4,200rpm and the diesel's 310Nm at 2,000rpm. Toyota's VVT-i petrol engines like to be revved hard, giving their best performance high-up in the rev range and keeping on giving right up to the red line. The power is delivered in a smooth and refined manner but in an MPV like the Verso, you don't really want to be holding each gear for that length of time.

The diesel, by contrast, gives its best in the low to middle rev range. It feels far punchier at the lower speeds you're forced to do around town. You have to move through the gears more quickly and there's a louder aural accompaniment but the Verso feels more responsive and usable with the oil-burner installed. Regardless of engine choice, this is one of the better driving compact MPV options. Despite the high roof, it resists the temptation to lean around too much in corners and the suspension serves up a comfortable ride that isn't so soft that it risks turning the family green.

For customers facing long journeys with children an extra £940 can get you Toyota's Modular ICE (in-car entertainment) option installed. This features two, removable, seven-inch screens in the back of the front headrests for viewing DVDs or connecting games consoles or cameras.

The Verso's styling has a lot in common with that of other mainstream Toyota products in that it's neat and unfussy rather than extrovert in any way. Even the most recent facelift was only introduced to bring the Verso's front end in line with the similarly low key Auris and Yaris models. The grille no longer has a bar running across it and the apertures in the under-bumper that house the fog lights on plusher models are now more aggressively angled. Certified nitpickers may also spot minor revisions to the front and rear light clusters.

Unlike some similarly sized rivals, the Verso can seat seven and 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. As tends to be the case with compact MPVs, adult-sized persons will struggle to get into the rearmost seats.

The interior is resoundingly tough and well-built - something of a Toyota trademark. Probably more so than any other compact MPV, you can be sure that the Verso isn't going to wilt under the pressures of family life. The controls on the dash are clearly laid-out and easy to use at a glance while the materials are of good quality. Storage space could be better.

The SR trim level brings a little more visual drama to the innocuous Toyota Verso but not too much. The Verso's strength is how it does the important things so adeptly and with the minimum of fuss but in SR form, the value for money angle is brought into sharper focus. Compact MPVs don't get much better than this but the Verso continues to resist the urge to shout about it.

TOP 3 VERSO DEALS

The results below show the top VERSO deals on buyacar

	Toyota Verso 2.2 D-4D SR 5dr Estate
	ETR	Mthly £294	Saving £2,856	Price £15,959
	Toyota Verso 1.8 VVT-i SR 5dr Estate
	ETR	Mthly £309	Saving £1,636	Price £16,104
	Toyota Verso 1.8 VVT-i SR 5dr MMT Estate
	ETR	Mthly £319	Saving £1,692	Price £16,548

typical 11.91% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000