2:49 am, May 29, 2011
Toyota sold 150,000 Yaris Versos in the UK – the Verso-S is its overdue replacement. James Batchelor climbs aboard
WHAT IS IT?
This is Toyota’s return to the B-MPV market – a sector it has been absent from since the demise of the rather ungainly-looking Yaris Verso in 2006. The Verso-S is a five-seat car intended for small families who want something larger than a Yaris, and ‘empty nesters’ who are looking to downsize from C-segment cars. Toyota believes it’ll sell 3,000 this year, and 3,120 in 2012. A strangely precise estimate…
WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?
A 1.33-litre VVT-i petrol unit which produces 98bhp, 125Nm and emits 127g/km – and that’s it. The firm says a diesel is ‘unsuitable’ for the UK market, but the rest of Europe will get it. Two transmissions are available though, a six-speed manual and a seven-speed CVT gearbox called Multidrive S. The latter is the most fuel efficient which claims an mpg figure of 54.3 over the manual’s 51.4mpg.
WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?
Simple – just two models. The most popular in the range is expected to be the £14,645 TR edition which has seven airbags, radio/ CD/MP3 player with USB, and a one- pull rear seat fold flat system which can be operated from in the boot, as standard. The range tops out with the T-Spirit model which comes with 16-inch alloys, touch-screen multimedia interface, air conditioning, flexible boot floor, rear camera, panoramic roof and costs £15,745.
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?
Easy – the Verso-S is perfect for its intended market. Customers will like the light steering and clutch as it’s ideal in the city, but they won’t like the big pillar that ruins rear visibility – however all models do get a parking camera. The 1.33-litre engine is smooth at low revs but on motorways it is loud, and with only 125Nm of torque at 4,000rpm it may struggle with five people on board.
WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK OF IT?
Autocar felt that while the Verso-S is a good car, its rivals do a better job and that ‘it becomes hard to recommend, despite its worthy merits’. Honest John was of the opinion that ‘you should certainly consider it and bear in mind that in the standard TR spec you do get a lot of equipment that you don’t get in lower-priced examples of its competitors’. Overall it scores three out of five in road tests.
WHAT DO WE THINK OF IT?
It’s ideal for those customers who bought the old Yaris Verso, and it’s also rather goof for young families too who want a little more space than a Yaris. The Verso-S has neat touches like seats that can be folded by pulling a door-like lever in the boot, while the floor can also drop on certain models creating more space. But while it’s good, the Verso-S doesn’t have the flair of the Hyundai ix20 or the ingenuity of the Honda Jazz.
