Versatile, family friendly Verso

And it's the new oil-burner model in particular that is going to boost the sales of this versatile little snout-bus range.

Since its launch in South Africa about four years ago the Verso has been selling well to sporty singles looking for a car big enough to accommodate a few chums and their bikes, kayaks, surf boards and other sporty kit, and also to outdoor-loving families for fresh air duties at weekends and for use on mum's taxi runs during the week.

And because of its amazing seating versatility (anything from 2 to 7 seats in a jiffy) the Verso was soon out-selling most of the other players in this small SUV market.

It sometimes pays to mutter

The one mutter from owners was that both the 1,6-litre and the 1,8-litres were a tad lazy, particularly with a full load on board, especially up on the energy-sapping Reef.

With the new range Toyota has pumped up the volume so that the 1,6-engine now produces 97 kW and 160 Nm (up from 81 kW and 150 Nm) and the 1,8-litre churns out 108 kW (up from 95 kW) and 180 Nm (up from 170 Nm).

Both engines certainly feel a bit livelier, although it still requires quite a bit of soup spoon churning on undulating terrain where in 6th or 5th gear both models tend to run out of breath on sharper inclines.

But not so the 2,0-litre diesel! What a pleasure it is to hear this high-tech diesel engine purring out the power. It kicks out 93 kW and a punchy 310 Nm from as low down as 1800 rpm.

It is quick off the mark and cruises with absolute ease, even at naughty speeds.

Solid, but so is the price

I drove the diesel on an extended loop along the West Coast and really warmed to this new version of the Verso. It feels solid on the road, in spite of its high roof, and the ride is comfortable without being soft or vague.

Like the petrol models, the diesel has a six-speed manual gearbox which is impressively slick. Positioned high on the centre console the stubby gear lever falls easy to hand so that flicking between cogs is effortless.

Two bits of not so nice news about this diesel - it's quite steeply priced at R296 200 and the 2.0 D-4D TX (to call it by its brochure name) will only be available in South Africa towards the end of the year.

The new entry level Verso 1.6 S (R243 300) will also not be available until then, but both the 1.6 SX (R259 000) and the 1.8 TX (R279 900) are on the dealers' floors already.

Pricy, but feature-filled

Although the new Versos might seem a little pricey they come with a range of safety and comfort features few other manufacturers can match in this class.

All models have ABS (anti-lock braking system enhanced with EBD (electronic brake force distribution) and BA (brake assist) and the SX and TX models also have VSC (vehicle stability control) which can be activated at the driver's discretion, TRC (traction control) and HAC (hill start assist).

All models have airbags which, on the SX and TX models, increase to seven.

Other family protectors include ISO-FIX rear seat anchors to keep baby seats securely in place, 3-point safety belts, seat-belt tensioners for the front seats, as well as WIL (whiplash injury lessening) head rests.

Special appeal

The Verso's special appeal is in its extremely flexible seating set-up called the Easy Flat-7 system. Easy to use, the seats fold down easily and the head restraints don't even have to be removed.

This system is so user-friendly you can even create a long, completely flat load area in minutes without a glance at an instruction manual.

The Verso also has a handy under floor storage system and lots of other mousey holes for tucking away bits and pieces.

Comfort and pleasure needs are catered for in various guises and include electric power steering, aircon, electric windows, Radio/DC player, Bluetooth, fully adjustable steering wheel, audio controls on the steering wheel, rear armrests, glove box with cooler, cupholders and even aviation tables in the second row, remote control and central locking, door locks that lock on take-off, child locks - and even a “conversation mirror” for easy chatting with rear seat passengers and keeping an eye on the ankle-biters.

Good-looking and practical

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The cabin is airy and feels even more spacious than it is. The instrument lay-out is neat and functional and I particularly liked the rev-counter and speedometer positioning which is angled at the driver.

And next to the rev counter there now sits a little conscience light called a Shift indicator which tells the driver when to change gears up or down for optimum fuel saving.

Five-up travel is a breeze and although Toyota makes much of the fact that the Verso is a seven-seater the very back seats are not really suitable for anything but short legs and short distances.

Toyota is not noted for making sexy cars and multi-seaters in general don't win prizes for stunning looks, but the Verso is actually quite a nifty little looker, complete with alloys, rear spoiler, cheeky bee-sting aerial and stylish lines quite similar to the Prius hybrid.

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It has a cute look and feel to it which is a bonus because its real appeal lies with its practicality, spaciousness, seat and load-carrying flexibility and excellent safety features.

And in all of those departments the Verso does better than most others in its class.

The Verso is covered by a three-year/100 000 km warranty and a five-year/90 000 km service plan is included in the price. Service intervals for all models are 15 000 km.

Footnote: Toyota also offers a number of sporty options for the Verso, including a cross bar roof rack, Pacific storage box and a three-bike bicycle carrier platform.