Toyota Verso: first driving impressions

Toyota Verso - safe, innit

My first impressions of the Toyota Verso have been good. It’s a very well executed car, with lots of nice design touches.

Unlike previous  Corolla-based Verso models it’s been built from scratch, and it looks better as a result.

I like the more interesting design; especially the side ‘character line’ which starts behind the front wheels and swoops up the sides of the Verso.

The seats fold down with very little effort, and when they are all stowed flat the rear loading space is huge.

So far we’ve driven the 130bhp 2-litre diesel and 145bhp 1.8-litre, and both are smooth and quiet engines with impressively low emissions.

Buyers of models in this class tend to prioritise safety, and the Verso is expected to excel in this area. It has seven airbags as standard, as well as a host of electronic safety features including ABS, stability control and traction control.

Watch out for the full Toyota Verso car review on the Auto Trader homepage.

Andrew Goodwin.