Toyota’s all-new Verso-S mini-MPV debuts at Paris Motor Show and prepares for its market launch in February 2011, to pick up where the successful Yaris Verso of 1999 left off. It offers the same amazing practicality, flexibility and versatility as the old car, but in a modern package featuring trendy stuff like a touchscreen interface.
Despite its compact size, which makes it the shortest model in the European B-segment, the Verso-S offers wheelbase of 2,500mm and class-leading front passenger headroom, rear seat knee room and loadspace length and volume. Specially if you opt for the large panoramic glass roof you get a cabin full of air!
The 60:40 split rear seats have a centre arm rest and a one-touch fold-flat mechanism. The top-hinged tailgate is cut into the rear bumper, which means there is lip-free access to the loadspace. The floor incorporates a lightweight deck board which can be set at bumper level to give a flat load floor and 336-litre cargo volume, or can be lowered (a one-handed operation) to increase loadspace depth by 95mm and volume by an extra 57 litres.
At max, with the rear seats folding flat you get 1,388 litres of cargo area.
Verso-S is available with the Toyota Optimal Drive 1.33-litre Dual VVT-i petrol engine. Matched to a six-speed manual transmission, it generates a maximum 98bhp at 6,000rpm and peak torque of 126Nm at 4,000rpm. Toyota targets a class-leading combined cycle fuel economy of 51.4mpg, with 127g/km CO2 emissions. Multidrive S, Toyota’s continuously variable transmission is available as an option. It features a manual override seven-speed sequential mode which the driver can operate using paddle shifts mounted on the steering wheel, or the gear lever. In models equipped with this system Toyota targets 54.3mpg combined cycle fuel consumption and 120g/km CO2 emissions.
One of the new and amazing features of the new Verso is the 6.1-inch, full colour Touch Screen Multimedia Interface. This gives clear and easy access to controls for the radio, CD/MP3 player and Bluetooth. There is also a USB port for connecting portable music players, and the screen can display album cover artwork (with compatible music players) and present the real-time view from a rear parking camera.
That is apart from the Navi-Box system which you can buy optionally later on. Navi-Box enhances satellite navigation functions, with speed camera warnings and motorway signage, and it gives access to Google-connected services, for example points of interest that can be downloaded from the internet and entered as destinations. Other applications include links to social networking services, fuel prices, news and weather reports.
You also get more than sufficient safety features with the Verso-S, with items like seven airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag. All seats are fitted with three-point seatbelts with emergency locking retractors; those on the front seats have pretensioners and force limiters. The active safety systems include ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), Traction Control (TRC) and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC).
Equipment grades for the UK market will be announced nearer the launch date. UK and European sales are scheduled to begin in February 2011.
