Versatile Verso has family focus

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Friday, April 16, 2010

I felt sorry for Toyota in the wake of the recent recall scandal that engulfed the company and damaged its previously bombproof corporate image.

The sight of top executives — including the main man, Akio Toyoda — groveling in front of all sorts of forums to apologise for the failings of his company seemed a disproportionate penalty.

Sure, he’s the boss and has to be seen to take responsibility, but I still felt sorry.

The whole sorry mess was a PR disaster for Toyota, but the company’s biggest failing was its inability to stave off the unnecessary hysteria.

So many others in the car business took a huge amount of pleasure from Toyota’s discomfort — particularly the Americans, who for so long had been discomfited by the decimation of their native industry by the Japanese, in general, and Toyota, in particular.

Unfortunately for the company, it will take it some time to recover from this disaster, but the best way it can do so is by highlighting all the things which it does so well. And one of those things is the production of top-class, mainstream products.

This week, we test one such machine — the new Toyota Verso, a hugely versatile, practical and affordable family MPV.

Going in against such big hitters as the Ford Focus C-Max, the Opel Zafira, the Renault Scenic and the VW Touran, the Verso is in a good position to compete with most, and, in fact, I would be very surprised if it was not close to the top of the sales charts in this segment by the end of the year.

A good-looking and well-proportioned machine, the Verso is also a true seven-seater, which will meet the needs of pretty much any family.

It might be that the base models seem a little miserly on the kit front — especially with some of its French rivals — but there is no denying that this is a very impressive package, all round.

The test car was fitted with the by now familiar D-4D two-litre diesel engine.

Outputting some 93 kW (126 bhp), this is a very refined engine and while it might be a little guttural at the lower end of the rev. range, it is a very solid performer, and one which copes equally with the demands of town and open-road driving.

Top speed is 190 kph and the 0-100 kph dash is achieved in 11.3 seconds.

Neither figure is terribly breathtaking, but the reality of this car is that it is a hod-carrier rather than a racing car.

Consumption levels are excellent and the Verso diesel will return 5.5 l/100 km (51.5 mpg).

The six-speed gearbox is excellent to live with, and on the road the Verso is poised and grippy. The handling is very good and the ride quality is right up there with the best.

From the driver’s point of view, the lofty driving position makes for excellent, all-round visibility and it is also worth noting that the seat is very supportive, and adjustable to the point where few incumbents will complain about being able to get comfortable.

The Verso’s middle row of seats can be slid, reclined and folded individually, while the two rearmost seats simply fold flat into the boot floor.

It does have to be noted that these seats are really only suitable for children, but that does not make them any the less handy.

Getting into them can be a little bit fraught, and when they are occupied it takes up some of the legroom for those in the middle row.

But, having said that, this is undoubtedly a hugely practical car and one that will meet the needs of most families. Safety and security issues are comprehensively addressed, and the list of standard kit, in this regard, is very impressive.

All told, I was genuinely impressed by this car and felt that, in its latest incarnation, it is bang in contention with the best-in-class, and even if Toyota has been embroiled in some unnerving difficulties in recent times, this machine illustrates clearly that when Toyota puts its mind to it, its products remain among the best in the business.