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Anyone who wants and has to transport a lot of luggage or people nowadays likes to use an SUV. It wasn't always like this: For a long time, vans were predestined for such tasks. Like the Toyota Verso. It does pretty well even as a used car, but it has a pronounced weakness.
Where today SUVs or crossovers offer space for children, vans were still the focus of buyers' interests with space requirements a good 10 years ago. This also included the Toyota Verso. It entered the second generation in 2009 - the predecessor was still called Corolla Verso - in the compact van segment against VW Touran and Opel Zafira, for example. In 2018, Toyota retired him after nine years. Those interested in used cars can choose from old and comparatively young ones.
Body and interior
The 4,46 meter long Toyota Verso makes a modest appearance. Until the 2013 facelift, its design was based on the Avensis, so that when describing the shapes, adjectives such as sedate or inconspicuous tend to come to mind. The Japanese put more emphasis on practicality than on a fancy sheet metal dress. The vehicle, which is available as a five- or seven-seater, scores with its variability. Three individual seats in the rear are always standard, they can be moved lengthways in favor of more knee room or trunk volume. Even in the basic position, the luggage part holds 484 liters (five-seater), if you fold down the backrests, it is 1.740 liters. The seven-seater comes to 178 to 1.696 liters. The seats 6 and 7 can also be folded flush into the trunk floor. In the last row, however, only children should take a seat.
The design of the interior can be described as sober, but the plastic surfaces are easy to clean. Unusual and takes getting used to: the instruments are located in the middle of the dashboard.
The facelift in 2013 brought some shine to the outer shell. There was more chrome and a new grille, the front was adapted to the look of the Auris. Chrome-colored applications have also found their way into the interior.
Motors and drive
The range of engines is manageable. Customers were initially able to choose between two petrol and two diesels. The 1,6-liter petrol engine with 97 kW / 132 PS and the 1,8-liter with 108 kW / 147 PS are suitable for relaxed drivers who also show patience when accelerating. The sprint from 11,7 to 10,4 km / h takes 0 and 100 seconds, respectively, and the end of acceleration is reached at 185 and 190 km / h. The average consumption is 6,7 and 6,9 liters. The more powerful petrol engine is available as an alternative to the manual six-speed gearbox with a continuously variable CVT gearbox.
The diesels were livelier. The two-liter with 91 kW / 124 PS mobilized 310 Nm, the 110-liter compression-ignition engine offered in the expansion stages with 150 kW / 130 PS and 177 kW / 2,2 PS provided 340 and 400 Nm. However, the 2,2-liter was not particularly economical. On average, between 6 and 6,8 liters flowed through the lines, with the top unit being the more economical. With the 150 hp engine, the standard six-speed automatic increased fuel consumption.
In 2014, Toyota removed the two-liter diesel from its range and instead relied on the 82 kW / 112 hp 1,6-liter diesel from the cooperation with BMW. With an average consumption of 4,5 liters, it is over a liter more economical than the discarded diesel. Like the petrol engine, it was offered until the end of the series. For the 2,2-liter diesel, on the other hand, it was over in mid-2015.
Equipment and safety
The Toyota Verso was offered in three equipment lines at the market launch: Verso, Life and Executive. The basic variant is not uncommon only for those willing to do without. Most customers opted for the medium version. This includes 16-inch rims, air conditioning, folding tables for the second row of seats and a multimedia system including a 6,1-inch touchscreen. Automatic air conditioning, reversing camera, aluminum rims were available for an extra charge. Vehicles after the facelift have these features on board as standard in "Life". Since then, bi-xenon headlights, parking sensors, automatic low beam and rain sensors have also been part of the “Executive” comfort level. Seven airbags were always on board. The Toyota van achieved a five-star rating in the 2010 Euro NCAP crash test.
Quality
During the TÜV main inspection (HU), the lighting system was found to be negative across all years. The defect rate here is the average of all examined vehicles. The problems range from the headlights to the indicators and the taillights. Fortunately, eliminating these shortcomings isn't too expensive. Problems with the brake system are typical of age, but according to the TÜV report, they are not serious. The Verso scores points for the environment and chassis. Axle suspension, axle springs and steering give no cause for criticism - unusual for heavy vans.
Conclusion
The Toyota Verso puts in a solid result at the TÜV, even if it is not the brightest. Even when it was first bought, the Japanese was not a bargain, costing around 21.200 euros. In the used car portals, it starts with around 7.500 euros for older diesel models. Gasoline engines start from around 10.000 euros.