FIRSTDRIVE TOYOTA VERSO-S:IT IS QUITE difficult to have it all in the motoring world. You want reliability. You want desirability. Space and practicality are generally a must for most of us. And it is increasingly important that we get good value too, writes PADDY COMYN
The traditional rulebook that we all grew up with in terms of car design and designation has been ripped up and now you buy a car based on what you need rather than one that offers partial solutions to your wants and wishes.
The B-MPV segment barely existed 10 years ago and we looked on with curiosity as cars like the Opel Meriva began to arrive and seemingly offered little more than better headroom. But we soon realised that there were merits in doors that opened wider, that accessing a rear child seat was easier with a higher roof and was much kinder on the back of those putting the children into these seats. These cars also found a welcome audience with the older buyer. Creaking hips and backs don’t make for sexy marketing campaigns but the higher access points that these new cars provided eased ailing joints.
With that in mind, Opel took the brave step of marketing their latest Meriva at the older buyer. It was only fair since it was mainly those people who bought the first one. And Toyota has done likewise with their new Verso-S.
Toyota aren’t really likely to mind very much who buys their Verso-S, but they will find that it will suit a wide variety of buyers. Firstly, it will appeal to younger buyers who find that they need more space because a first baby has arrived and the thankfully quirky styling means they won’t feel like they have bought a mummy-mobile just yet.
Plus, they are going to love Toyota’s Touch multimedia interface, which comes from Luna grade. This is a 6.1-inch full-colour touch screen multimedia system, which features a radio, CD/MP3 player, and Bluetooth phone connectivity with a music-streaming facility, and a USB port. Connect up your iPod or iPhone to it and you can display iPod album cover art.
It is the kind of feature which is a huge nod in the direction of the younger buyer. At a later stage too, buyers will have the option of upgrading the system to “Touch Go” that adds a satellite navigation system and this will allow users to do a Google Local search and, via Google Maps, a destination can be sent to Touch Go from the home or office computer. This system will also be able to handle SMS text messages and will run specially-made applications including weather forecasts and parking availability.
The Opel Meriva is the car in this segment with the party trick, with its rear-facing doors that are brilliant to use, but the Meriva isn’t cheap. Aside from the techie-lover’s interior, the Verso-S also offers 19 storage compartments and the ability to fold the rear seats flat at the touch of a button. This can increase the load space from 336 litres to 1,388 litres.
The Verso-S is available with a 90bhp 1.33 dual VVT-I petrol engine with emissions of 127g/km (Band B). The petrol can also be had with a CVT Multidrive S transmission on Luna and Sol models. The low emissions and good fuel economy is helped by the fact that Toyota has made the Verso-S incredibly lightweight, weighing just 1,070kg – 155kg lighter than a five-door Toyota Auris.
We drove the car around the roads of Toledo, Spain, and started with the CVT and that gearbox is, in a word, terrible. The gearbox hunts and the engine squeals as it fishes for the right ratio if you leave it to its own devices.
It is somewhat bearable if you use the paddles to change gears yourself but that somehow misses the point. In fairness to Toyota, the CVT is the majority seller in Japan and they freely admit they are simply trying it out in Europe.
Infinitely better is the six-speed manual transmission, which will make up the overwhelming majority of sales in our market. With this gearbox the Verso-S is a different car. It is quiet, refined and very easy to drive.
In terms of price and standard equipment, the car starts at €16,995 – cheaper than the majority of its rivals at entry-level.
And while equipment at this price is strong in areas of safety, with seven airbags and ESP as standard, it is a little short of luxuries, with no air conditioning and no alloy wheels and a plastic steering wheel and gearstick.
The best spec to buy is the Luna grade, which costs €19,995. That gets 16-inch alloy wheels, Toyota Touch with reversing camera, air conditioning, a leather steering wheel and gear knob. The €22,135 Sol model gains automatic air conditioning, the Smart Entry Start System, panoramic roof, dusk and rain sensors, alloy wheels and electric rear windows.
This is a good little family car that will suit a variety of uses. Bypass the Terra model if the budget allows and go straight to the Luna and you will get a car that ticks lots of modern motorists’ boxes.
Unlike earlier compact MPVs, the Verso-S caters for a wide variety of drivers, writes Paddy Comyn
FACTFILE
Engine1.33-litre dual VVT-I petrol Maximum power 99bhp at 6,000rpm
Maximum torque125Nm at 4,000rpm
0-100km/h13.3 seconds
Maximum speed170km/h
Fuel economy(combined cycle) 5.5 litres/100km (51.3mpg) CO2 emissions 127g/km
Annual road tax€156
Price€16,995
On sale now