The new Toyota Verso compact MPV will be introduced early in the New Year, joining the new, British-built Auris to strengthen Toyota’s presence in the family/compact car market. With the all-new fourth-generation RAV4 and Auris Touring Sports estate car also scheduled for 2013,Toyota will achieve unprecedented representation in the heart of the car market.
The new-look Verso, which broke cover at this year’s Paris motor show in September, adopts new styling that aligns it closely with the stronger design language display by new Auris. This is most striking at the front, where the Toyota“family” design elements are evident in the keen-edged headlamp units, the narrow, full-width upper grille, and the larger trapezoidal lower grille. New door mirrors and new-design wheels are also among the more than 300 detail changes that have been made to the vehicle.
In the cabin the perceived quality has been raised with new trim materials and a consistent approach to the lighting and graphics used for the instruments and controls. New upholstery designs also featured.
The powertrain line-up has been carried forward, but with engine and transmission choice adjusted within the range in line with customer preferences. Notably the 2.0 D-4D diesel engine has been revised for better torque delivery at low revs and quieter running. At the same the engine’s CO2 emissions have been reduced by 10g/km to fall below 130g/km.
Grade structure and key equipment features
The Verso range adopts a new three-grade structure: Active, Icon and Excel. Entry point will be the five-seat Active with the 1.6 Valvematic petrol engine and six-speed manual transmission.
A high specification is provided across all grades, with even the entry level Active coming equipped with front fog lights, air conditioning, electric front windows, Hill-start Assist Control and, on the seven-seat version, Toyota’s quick and simple Easy Flat folding system for the rear seats.
Icon grade benefits from a more extensive range of features than current Verso’s core TR trim, with the addition of cruise control, a DAB digital tuner, rear privacy glass and a folding function on the electrically adjustable door mirrors. Icon models also gain new two-tone, machine-finished 16-inch alloy wheels.
At the top of the range, Verso Excel models come with new-design 17-inch alloys and a raft of premium features, including new leather seat bolsters, Smart Entry and Start, roof rails and automatic headlights and windscreen wipers. Key equipment features on each grade are shown in the table below.
| ACTIVE | ICON adds | EXCEL adds |
| Four-speaker audio with radio, CD and MP3 players (files from disc) | 16-inch machine-faced alloy wheels | 17-inch alloy wheels |
| Aux-in andUSBport | Leather steering wheel and gear knob trim | Leather seat bolsters |
| Electric front windows | Front seat aviation table and cupholder | Smart Entry and Start |
| Air conditioning | Bluetooth | Rain-sensing wipers |
| Daytime running lights | Electric rear windows | Bi-xenon HID headlights with cleaners |
| Front fog lights | Rear-view camera | Automatic headlight levelling |
| Hill-start Assist Control | Dual-zone climate control | Auto-dimming rear-view mirror |
| ABS, EBD and VSC | Retractable door mirrors | Rear door sunshades |
| Rear spoiler | Cruise control | Dusk-sensing headlights |
| DABdigital tuner | Roof rails | |
| Rear privacy glass | Leather door trim |
Options
The Toyota Touch multimedia touchscreen control system on the Icon and Excel models can be upgraded to Touch & Go (£650), adding satellite navigation and on-board connectivity to Google Local Search (with appropriate mobile phones and service plans) with access to useful applications for more detailed local information and resources.
A Skyview panoramic roof is available for Icon and Excel models (£550). One of the largest on the market, it brings significantly more light into the cabin, increasing the sense of spaciousness (it cannot be fitted when roof rails are specified). An Appearance Pack is available for Icon grade, which provides bi-xenon HID headlights and LED daytime running lights with roof rails (£700).
New Verso pricing
| MODEL | ENGINE | TRANSMISSION | PRICE |
| Active 5-seat | 1.6 Valvematic petrol | 6MT | £17,495 |
| Active 7-seat | 1.6 Valvematic petrol | 6MT | £17,995 |
| Active 7-seat | 2.0 D-4D diesel | 6MT | £19,495 |
| Icon 7-seat | 1.6 Valvematic petrol | 6MT | £19,945 |
| Icon 7-seat | 1.8 Valvematic petrol | Multidrive S | £21,445 |
| Icon 7-seat | 2.0 D-4D diesel | 6MT | £21,445 |
| Excel 7-seat | 1.8 Valvematic petrol | Multidrive S | £23,445 |
| Excel 7-seat | 2.0 D-4D diesel | 6MT | £23,445 |
