Toyota Verso MPV

Expert Rating:

What is it?

It's a traditional MPV in every sense of the word, in that its sole purpose is to squeeze as many people into the cabin as possible while keeping the external proportions close to a standard family hatch. On that basis it succeeds - we'll tell you that much already - but then there's the small matter of its rivals.

See, if we're honest, the MPV is generally the ultimate declaration of being ever-so-slightly on the wrong side of the hill. That might be a cliché, but that's just the way it is.

As such, a proliferation of crossover vehicles have appeared since the MPV was invented (which Toyota credits itself for with the Space Cruiser 25 years ago) and indeed since the original Corolla Verso was launched in 2002. Now we have SUVs, mini-SUVs. SAVs, 'plus' hatchbacks, urban crossovers, lifestyle estates and, of course, bog standard saloons all vying for a slice of the family car market. Most of them claim to add some excitement to the dull business of ferrying people around - so credit to Toyota for rigidly sticking to its principles...

Is it any good?

...though we'd argue it has stuck a little too rigidly to the MPV blueprint with the new Verso: it's almost identical to the previous one. The old Verso was a perfectly capable and inoffensive car, but that means this one is too - which is to say it's completely bland. What an urban crossover loses to the MPV in outright space, a good one will easily make up for with a dash of visual or dynamic excitement.

That said, if you need seven seats and/or a big boot, and you're way past that whole driver involvement, lift-off oversteer nonsense, this could be for you. The improved Flat-7 seating system makes it easy to fold one or all of the seats flat with a quick lever tug, liberating well over 1,600-litres of useful Swedish flat pack furniture space. When it comes to the people part, though, with the seats up, it's slightly less compelling - there's far less legroom in all rows than you'd expect, and there's less storage space in the cabin too.

Before stepping into the Verso, we expected it to be awash with massive and obvious places to throw stuff into: it isn't. There are nice flashes like a split glove box with a cooled top half for drinks, and storage under the floor of the middle row - but against some of the more recent van-based offerings from Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat, it actually feels cramped. And expensive.

Behind the wheel there's nothing memorable, which, to be fair, is all that should be expected. The suspension strikes a happy balance between resisting topsy-turvy body rolling but flattening broken roads to provide a smooth ride. It's comfortable, in a word (although the driving position is strangely ergonomically inept). At launch, cars can be specified with a 1.8-litre petrol mustering 145bhp or a 2.0-litre diesel with 125bhp, though a useful extra chunk of torque: 229lb.ft of the stuff. It's a bit of a porker though, so you'll need it just to get up mild inclines when the Verso's full of grandparents and bicycles. It's not quick.

Should I call the bank manager?

Well, you could do a lot worse than go for the reliable dependency and anonymity of the Verso, and it's hardly impractical or difficult to park. But, it's expensive for a car with so little to offer in the feel good department, and it's not awash with equipment either.

For the £16,475 you'll pay for a base petrol model, for example, you'll want more than a set of plastic wheel trims and wind-down rear windows. Essentially you're looming dangerously close to £19k by the time you're into a mid-level model - with residual saving stuff like alloys and an iPod socket - powered by the more sensible diesel engine. There's an even more expensive, but only marginally more powerful, 2.2-diesel coming later too. In short, it's just too expensive

Summary

And that takes us back to the first thing we said about the type of cars Toyota's MPV is competing with. Need seven seats? Buy a Qashqai+2. Need space for five? Buy a Peugeot Expert Teepee and pocket the change. Love MPVs but love driving too? Get a Ford S-Max or, heck, a Vauxhall Zafira VXR if you like. The Verso is functional, but it's also like buying beige slacks because they're slightly more comfortable than jeans.

Mark Nichol