Toyota Verso Review 2024

The Toyota Verso isn’t the kind of car you lie awake at night thinking about. You buy a car like this at a particular stage in your life, when Happy Meals are more important than Happy Hours, Saturday mornings are spent at the soft play area rather than shaking off a heavy one, and you seriously consider a subscription to What Pushchair? magazine.

If you’re at that stage of life, the Toyota Yaris ticks a lot of boxes. When everything around you seems unpredictable and random, the Verso delivers a feeling of dependability and reassurance. No matter what you and your kids throw at it, the Toyota Verso will keep on delivering, time and time again.

It’s almost completely devoid of excitement and flair, but we’re sure you’re getting enough of a buzz from spending an hour a week watching your children at the trampoline centre. Ear plugs are recommended.

The Toyota Verso is the Ronseal of the seven-seat MPV world – it does exactly what it sets out to do. In this respect, it’s very similar to the Volkswagen Touran and Ford C-MAX.

If you’re after a dollop of driving pleasure, the larger Ford S-MAX should float your Iggle Piggle boat, while the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso (now known as the Grand C4 SpaceTourer) adds some French flair to the mix.

Speaking of French flair, the Renault Grand Scenic rides on massive 20-inch alloy wheels, which will impress a couple of people on the school run.

There’s a big difference between perceived and actual quality. Some manufacturers – hello Germany – do a remarkably good job of creating a great first impression by garnishing their cars with soft-touch plastics and lavish materials. As a result, these cars tip the perceived quality o’meter over the edge.

Things are different in the Toyota Verso. While perceived quality might be low, the actual quality is very high. There’s a sense that the Verso’s cabin was built to withstand death by children and canines, with a general feeling of robustness and longevity. This is evidenced by the high-mileage examples you see on the used market, many of which look as good as new on the inside.

Some of the plastic surfaces might feel scratchy and hollow, but they’re hard-wearing and fit for purpose. Buy a Verso with a panoramic roof and light floods into the cabin, giving the car a light and airy feel.

You’re never going to mistake the Toyota Verso for a premium car, but then you’re not paying a premium price either.

All versions except the entry-level Active trim boast a Toyota Touch infotainment screen. In 2014, the Verso was one of the first Toyotas to benefit from the upgraded Touch 2 multimedia system.

The package includes Bluetooth, a rear-view camera, DAB digital radio, vehicle information, climate control settings and iPod and MP3 connectivity. Upgrading to Toyota Touch 2 with Go adds satellite navigation, connected services, Google Street View and TomTom real time traffic information. The upgrade is standard on flagship models and an option on some other trim levels.

It’s not the most intuitive system on the market, and the display looks straight outta the 1990s, but it’s preferable to the basic setup on the Active trim. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are not available.

Your kids will thank you for buying a Trend Plus model. Launched in 2015, the Verso Trend Plus features a twin rear-seat DVD entertainment system as standard, comprising dual monitors and two wireless headsets.

The system was a relatively expensive option on Icon, Trend and Excel models, so it’s worth finding a Trend Plus in the classifieds. Just make sure the system is present and correct.

You’d expect the Toyota Verso to major on space and practicality, and for the most part, it drives away with first-class honours.

Thanks to a so-called ‘Easy Flat’ seating system, there are no fewer than 32 different seating permutations, with the ability to fold the individual seats in the second and third row without having to remove the headrests.

Up front, there’s loads of headroom for the driver and front-seat passenger, with the large windscreen contributing to the feeling of space. There’s also plenty of room for adults and children in the second row, but the legroom is compromised if you slide the seats forward to provide extra space for anyone travelling behind.

If you don’t, space in the third row is rather restricted, with the seats best reserved for small children or occasional use. It’s all a little cramped back there, with the small side windows and proximity to the tailgate making you feel hemmed in. Furthermore, it’s quite an effort squeezing behind the second row when entering and exiting the rearmost seats.

As for the boot, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. With all seven seats in use, there’s a measly 114 litres of luggage space on offer, which is nowhere near enough for a car of this size. Folded away, the capacity increases to a more usable 399 litres, with up to 968 litres available in two-seat mode.

The seats fold entirely flat which, when combined with a low loading lip, gives the Toyota Verso van-like credentials.

You’ll also like the variety of storage compartments dotted throughout the cabin, including two large gloveboxes, a deep central storage bin, two cupholders up front, two ‘Big Gulp’ size cupholders for the third row, underfloor storage, an overhead console and large door pockets.

One of the gloveboxes is refrigerated in all except the Active trim, which also misses out on rear door sunshades and aviation-style seat-back tables for the second row.

Also note the storage area under the boot floor, which features a slot for the storage of the retractable parcel shelf. It’s features such as this that make you realise that the Verso was designed with families in mind.

In terms of exterior dimensions, the Toyota Verso measures 4460mm in length, 1790mm in width and 1620mm in height.

Although the Toyota Verso launched with a 2.0-litre D-4D diesel engine, this was replaced by a more efficient BMW-sourced 1.6 D-4D for 2014. It offers the performance and efficiency of the 2.0 unit, but with a significant 20kg weight saving. It’ll saunter to 62mph in 12.7 seconds before hitting a top speed of 115mph. 

Alternatively, you can opt for one of two Valvematic petrol engines. The 1.6-litre is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox to deliver 0-62mph time in 11.7 seconds and a top speed of 115mph. It’s the weakest engine, not least because it requires so much work to make swift progress – especially if you’re travelling seven-up.

The 1.8-litre petrol is paired with a CVT automatic transmission to provide a 0-62mph time of 11.1 seconds and a top speed of 115mph. This is one of the better CVT units on the market, with Toyota making it feel like a traditional automatic transmission, without the ‘rubber band’ characteristics common to other units.

That being said, we’d still recommend the 1.6-litre D-4D. Its low- to mid-range pull is most welcome in a car of this type, while the on-paper fuel economy figures are hard to ignore.

Although Toyota marketed the Verso as a new car, it was actually a heavily reworked version of the Verso dating back to 2009. When viewed in the context of its predecessor, the Verso puts on an impressive display of refinement.

Toyota added extra soundproofing between the engine bay and cabin, along with on the A-pillars. Additional touches like more aerodynamic door mirrors and improved sealing on the door corners contribute to a cabin that feels cocooned from the outside world.

Take it easy and the Verso feels remarkably hushed, which is a boon on the motorway, when the engines settle to a quiet idle. Things go a little awry when you put the engines under stress, though.

The 1.6-litre D-4D diesel sounds coarse and unrefined, the 1.6-litre petrol delivers an unwelcome din, while the CVT transmission in the 1.8-litre version makes it clear that it would rather be taking it easy, thank you.

These are minor complaints, because for the most part, the Toyota Verso feels as refined as some cars wearing a premium badge.

The Toyota Verso was awarded a maximum five-star safety rating in 2010, before being named the safest MPV by Euro NCAP in 2011. Although the reworked version wasn’t tested by Euro NCAP, this is an MPV built with safety in mind.

The scores were impressive: 89 percent for adult occupant protection, 75 percent for adult occupant protection, 69 percent for adult occupant protection, and 86 percent for safety assist technologies. Such a stellar performance is unlikely today, but only because it’s harder to achieve a five-star rating in 2020.

From 2016, the excellent Toyota Safety Sense package was made standard across the Verso range. The pack includes a pre-collision system with forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking, automatic high beam headlights and lane departure warning.

You’ll also find driver and front passenger airbags, curtain shield airbags for all three rows of seats, a driver’s knee airbag and Isofix child seat anchor points. All models come with a space saver temporary spare wheel, or a tyre repair kit for versions fitted with a panoramic sunroof.

A significant but oft-overlooked benefit of aerodynamics is high-speed ability. While a slippery body shape can improve fuel economy, the improved airflow can also deliver a flatter straight-line ride, improved rear stability and increased composure when cornering at speed.

What the Toyota Verso lacks in excitement, it makes up for reliability. The 1.6 diesels suffer from timing chain failures but, that aside, the Toyota Verso should be pretty dependable. As always, a full service record is desirable.

The cost of insurance will be roughly the same, regardless of the trim level or engine you choose. The 1.6-litre Valvematic petrol and 1.6-litre diesel fall into insurance groups 13 and 14, while the 1.8-litre Valvematic is slightly higher, slotting into group 15.

The Verso should be cheaper to insure than the Seat Alhambra (groups 13 to 25), Volkswagen Sharan (groups 15 to 25) and Ford Galaxy (groups 17 to 31). This is a car driven by careful types, you see.

You’ll enjoy a small but significant cost saving by opting for the 1.6-litre D-4D diesel engine. Because the CO2 emissions are 10g/km lower than the old 2.0-litre D-4D unit, you’ll pay £30 a year for Vehicle Excise Duty (VED, or road tax). This increases to £125 a year in the 2.0-litre diesel.

The 1.6-litre and 1.8-litre Valvematic petrol engines cost £205 a year to tax. Note: these cars are based on Toyota Verso models registered on or before 31 March 2017. A Verso registered on or after 1 April 2017 will cost £150 to tax, regardless of the engine or wheel size.

The Toyota Verso was launched in 2013 with three trims: Active, Icon and Excel. A Trend version was added for the 2014 model-year, with the Trend Plus arriving in 2015. In 2016, the Trend and Trend Plus were replaced by a single Design trim, which slotted in below the flagship Excel.

In 2017, the range was streamlined to include Active, Icon and Design. It’s worth noting that the base-spec version was a five-seat Active with a 1.6-litre petrol and six-speed manual gearbox. Few of these were ordered in the UK, but you’ll want to avoid the five-seater if you need room for seven.

Although standard equipment is generous across the range, we’d avoid the Toyota Verso Active as it misses out on a few must-have features. When new, the Icon was the range sweet spot, but the flagship Excel and Design make more sense on the used car market. Also look out for the feature-packed Trend and Trend Plus models.