ROADTEST TOYOTA VERSO S LUNA:Even those not impressed by its smart tech gadgetry will love the space offered by this small hatchback, writes MICHAEL McALEER
TOYOTA CLAIMS it invented the small people carrier market with its Yaris Verso in 1999. For those of us whose lives were focused on more fun pursuits than shopping around for a high-roofed supermini at the time, it’s probably not an achievement worthy of much consideration.
At that time, the potential buyers of this new version, the Verso S, probably were either dreaming of open-topped roadsters or were too busy riding the Celtic Tiger to notice the Yaris Verso. And if they did, it’s unlikely to have been the pinnacle of their motoring aspirations. “One day Ill own one of those,” is not something you commonly hear from the motoring public when it comes to these cars.
They don’t feature on many bedroom walls or in many petrolheads’ scrapbooks. Reality bites hard, however, when offspring arrive and fun quickly gives way to function.
Yet with many older buyers downsizing and young families looking for more space on a limited budget, the Verso S may well tap into a steadily growing market.
It is not much to look at: there are a few sharp lines on the bonnet and angled light clusters in an attempt to cloak the otherwise large metal box, but don’t expect many wolf whistles as you drive by.
It’s not ugly, by any means, just rather nondescript. Yet none of its rivals set pulses racing either, so it’s not at a disadvantage there. Function rarely gives way to form in the family market.
Yet, probably because we weren’t expecting much in the way of personality and certainly not in terms of performance, the Verso S really took us by surprise: this car is a little cracker.
The entry-level model might be so poorly equipped it is hardly worth buying, but spend a little extra to get the Luna grade and suddenly you have a car that promises to put several premium cars to shame.
Before we get down to the impressive tech gadgetry, let us focus on the all-important functionality. This might be one of the smallest cars in this class but from the inside it feels like a much bigger car.
The high seating position greatly helps, as does the surprisingly ample legroom in the front and the rear. The boot is capacious enough for a weekly shop and boasts a smart floor arrangement that can be lowered to create a decent stowage well for taller items.
At a minimum, it offers 336 litres of space, but this can be increased to 439 litres if you opt for a tyre repair kit instead of a spare wheel. With the rear seats folded down at the flip of a lever in the boot, that space increases up to 1,388 litres. For its size, the Verso S is remarkably practical. Suddenly it starts to stand out from the crowd.
Inside the cabin there’s a host of smart stowage features, such as a secondary glove box mounted higher on the dash with a shelf where you can set your iPhone or music player, next to which is the connection point. The beauty of the touchscreen system is that it displays your music and its cover art on the screen, letting you choose what to play without fiddling with your iPod or iPhone. It’s surprising the number of supposedly premium cars that don’t do this simple task.
But it’s what the future holds in store for the six-inch colour screen that impresses the most. This is billed as the Toyota Touch system and heralds the arrival of far more interactivity in affordable mainstream cars in the coming years.
Already Ford is rolling out new systems developed in conjunction with Microsoft and the over-riding message from the stands at this month’s Geneva Motor Show was that firms suddenly see the chance of turning a car’s cabin into a multimedia “infotainment” centre. The motorheads want to bring the gadgetry and functions normally associated with smartphones and Apple apps into the motoring world.
For the Verso S, this means a new Touch Go system, due for launch later this spring, that will offer satellite navigation that can be linked via Bluetooth to a compatible smartphone to offer in-car connectivity to the likes of Google Local Search, via Google Maps. Want to find a Chinese restaurant nearby? Or how about a florist? A quick online search and the location is loaded into your sat nav system. Recognising the speed at which such online systems change and improve, the Toyota system allows for upgrades without having to replace the system or the screen. Initial applications due for launch this year include those with fuel prices, weather updates and parking space information. Toyota says more apps will be available online to download soon.
While our crystal ball is often on the blink, it’s safe to say that in the next five years the online world is set to enter the car’s cabin in a major way.
With this system, Toyota is laying the foundations and it’s commendable that the system can be upgraded without too much fuss. It’s nowhere near as slick as a smartphone yet, but the opportunities are incredibly tempting, not just for car firms but for tech companies as well.
The first question is whether owners will be prepared to pay the extra phone fees for all this connectivity while on the road.
It also raises the question as to why one would ever consider saving in the short term by opting for the unconnected entry model Verso S. Admittedly the starting price is quite attractive, and it’s commendably well equipped in terms of safety features, with stability control and seven airbags, including a driver knee airbag, as standard.
Given that there’s a €3,000 gap to bridge between it and the tech-savvy Luna, we are left wondering why they didn’t introduce another specification level in between the mundane Terra and the tech-friendly Luna. As for the Sol version, there doesn’t really seem to be enough on offer to warrant an additional spend of €2,140.
So the Luna is the best buy, particularly when you consider the interests of future used-car buyers: such features as the multimedia system will help the car to sell faster in years to come, offering it a definite advantage over rivals. Many used-car buyers will not be expecting such features in a Toyota hatchback.
The final trump card in the Verso S pack is a 1.3-litre petrol engine that’s surprisingly lively and well able to mix it with the rest, even at motorway speeds.
On paper it doesn’t look that potent, with just 99bhp to push a family car along, yet it never lets you down. Perhaps the most impressive trait is that even when pushed, the engine noise isn’t the high-pitched whine you would expect from something this size. It delivers in ways that you would more commonly expect from a 1.6-litre unit.
Along with a regular six-speed manual gearbox, the Verso S is also offered with a Multidrive semi-automatic transmission. Toyota makes much of this system but a colleague who tested a Multidrive Verso was less than impressed and we remain underwhelmed by small car automatics, particularly those with continuously variable transmissions.
If you cannot drive a manual, then they serve a purpose, but we would not opt for them out of choice. On the Luna specification, Multidrive adds €1,180 to the price.
Admittedly the Verso S is up against some seriously strong opposition. The new Opel Meriva boasts a significant party trick with its reverse-opening doors at the rear, while Ford is set to introduce the B-Max later this year with rear sliding doors and some equally funky interactive gadgetry.
There’s also the Nissan Note, a well-established performer in this segment, while the Hyundai ix20 offers a very tempting value proposition.
Yet the Verso S can hold its head high against these rivals and, what it lacks in fancy door tricks, it makes up for in practicality and performance. Buyers in this segment are spoilt for choice at present. For the tech-savy, however, this car may prove the most tempting of the bunch.
Factfile
Engine 1,329cc 16-valve dual overhead camshaft, dual VVT-i four-cylinder in-line petrol engine putting out 99bhp @ 6,000rpm and 125Nm of torque @ 4,000rpm and six-speed manual transmission
0-100km/h 13.3 seconds
Bootspace 336 – 1,388 litres
L/100km (mpg) urban – 4.8 (58.9); extra-urban – 6.8 (41.5); combined – 5.5 (51.4)
Emissions (tax) 127g/km (€156)
Specification Entry-level Terra (€16,995) features: 15-inch wheels with hubcaps; electric exterior mirrors; electric front windows; radio/CD with four speakers; dual front, side and curtain airbags and a driver knee airbag; stability and traction control; ABS with brake assist
Luna (€3,000 extra) adds: air-con; front foglights; 16-inch alloys; Bluetooth; leather steering wheel; Toyota Touch multimedia system; reversing camera; additional two speakers; underfloor boot space; front and rear armrests.
Sol (€2,140 on Luna) adds: panoramic roof with electric blind; privacy glass; push-start system with Smart auto entry; rear electric windows; climate control; rain sensors.
Prices: €19,995 for Luna test car (Verso S starts at €16,995)
The rivals
HONDA JAZZ 1.4 SE-S
Bhp 99
0-100km/h 11.5 secs
L/100km (mpg) 5.4 (52.3)
Emissions (tax) 128 g/km (€156)
Bootspace 337-883 L
Price €17,665
OPEL MERIVA 1.4 SC
Bhp 99
0-100km/h 13.9 secs
L/100km (mpg) 6.1 (46.3)
Emissions (tax): 144g/km (€302)
Bootspace 397-1,496 L
Price €21,195
NISSAN NOTE 1.5d SVE
Bhp 86
0-100km/h13.0 secs
L/100km (mpg) 5.1 (55.4)
Emissions (tax) 119 g/km (€104)
Bootspace 280 - 1,332 L
Price €19,770
HYUNDAI ix20 1.4D
Bhp 89
0-100km/h 14.5 secs
L/100km (mpg) 4.5 (62.8)
Emissions (tax) 119 g/km (€104)
Bootspace 440-1,486 L
Price €18,995