Toyota Verso (2013 – 2018) Review

September 2012

Toyota unveiled 2013 Verso

The new model has been restyled to look more like other new Toyota models and benefits from improved materials and a revised interior, plus new trim details. Toyota says 470 parts have been changed as part of the upgrade.

Most of the obvious changes are at the front, where the styling has been improved to fit Toyota’s new family look with an appearance similar to the new Auris. The styling is designed to make the car look wider and less tall. Alterations include a new bumper, slimmer headlights and a new grille.

The cabin features new colours and more tactile materials. Higher spec models benefit from Nappa leather around the door trims, armrest and steering wheel. There is also ‘satin chrome’ detailing and the attention to detail extends as far as the door handles, which get a new two-layer paint finish.

The flexible interior remains, with plenty of storage areas and cubby holes, as well as a useful seating arrangement. It features three individual seats in the second row and two in the third. Upholstery for these has been revised with new colours and materials on offer.

Engines have been improved with 10g/km lower emissions for the 2.0-litre diesel D-4D. A 2.2-litre diesel is offered too with either a manual or automatic gearbox. 2.2 diesel can optionally have its towing capacity increased by 200kg to 1,500kg. Petrol engines are 1.6-litre and 1.8-litre valvematics, with the 1.8 available with the excellent CVT Multidrive S CVT automatic gearbox.

Body rigidity has been increased to provide a more control through bends, while the suspension has been altered to increase ride comfort. The steering has been tweaked for better weight and feel, while the sound-proofing has been improved to make for a more refined drive .

'Easy Flat 7' seating offers 32 different permutations. Completely flat with 2nd and 3rd frow seats foldeed, the 2013 Verso's loadspace is 1,575mm long x 1,430mm wide. With all seats upright luggage space is 155 litres. With the 3rd row folded it rises to 440 litres to window height.

December 2012

UK specification revealed

The powertrain line-up has been carried forward, but with engine and transmission choice adjusted within the range in line with customer preferences. Notably the 2.0 D-4D diesel engine has been revised for better torque delivery at low revs and quieter running. At the same the engine’s CO2emissions have been reduced by 10g/km to fall below 130g/km.

The Verso range adopts a new three-grade structure: Active, Icon and Excel. Entry point will be the five-seat Active with the 1.6 Valvematic petrol engine and six-speed manual transmission.

A high specification is provided across all grades, with even the entry level Active coming equipped with front fog lights, air conditioning, electric front windows, Hill-start Assist Control and, on the seven-seat version, Toyota’s quick and simple Easy Flat folding system for the rear seats.

Icon grade benefits from a more extensive range of features than current Verso’s core TR trim, with the addition of cruise control, a DAB digital tuner, rear privacy glass and a folding function on the electrically adjustable door mirrors. Icon models also gain new two-tone, machine-finished 16-inch alloy wheels.

At the top of the range, Verso Excel models come with new-design 17-inch alloys and a raft of premium features, including new leather seat bolsters, Smart Entry and Start, roof rails and automatic headlights and windscreen wipers.

The Toyota Touch multimedia touchscreen control system on the Icon and Excel models can be upgraded to Touch & Go (£650), adding satellite navigation and on-board connectivity to Google Local Search (with appropriate mobile phones and service plans) with access to useful applications for more detailed local information and resources.

A Skyview panoramic roof is available for Icon and Excel models (£550). One of the largest on the market, it brings significantly more light into the cabin, increasing the sense of spaciousness (it cannot be fitted when roof rails are specified). An Appearance Pack is available for Icon grade, which provides bi-xenon HID headlights and LED daytime running lights with roof rails (£700).

December 2013

New 1.6 D-4D engine added to range

Toyota Verso gets BMW 1.6 litre diesel engine from 2014. It replaces the 2.0-litre D-4D engine in the UK line-up, offering higher efficiency and a 20kg weight saving. Maximum power is 110PS at 4,00rpm and peak torque is 270Nm, generated from 1,750 to 2,250rpm. 0-62mph acceleration is despatched in 12.7 seconds and top speed is 115mph.

Fuel economy is eight per cent better than the 2.0 D-4D unit, with 62.8mpg combined cycle consumption. CO2emissions are lower by 10g/km at 119g/km. These figures are supported by the first deployment of a stop and start system in Verso, in line with the efficiency principles of Toyota Optimal Drive.

Spring settings have been modified for the models using the new engine to ensure levels of body control and ride comfort consistent with the rest of the range. The new engine is available in the 2014 Verso alongside the established 1.6 and 1.8-litre Valvematic petrol units.

December 2013

2014 Verso line-up revealed

The Verso gains a new Trend grade for 2014, introducing an extra dash of style and some high-tech equipment features to the specification. Slotting into the range between the Icon and Excel models, the Trend versions are easy to distinguish thanks to a black C-pillar decal that creates a floating roof effect – a styling feature shared with the latest Yaris Trend. They also have their own five-spoke alloy wheel design, front fog lamps and rear privacy glass.

Building on the Icon grade specification, Trend models benefit from Toyota Touch 2 with Go, adding satellite navigation, connected services, Google Street View and TomTom real time traffic data to the multimedia system’s functions. As well as a rear-view camera – a key element in the Toyota Touch 2 package – Verso Trend is equipped with front parking sensors for belt-and-braces safe and easy parking manoeuvres.

In addition to the new Trend grade, Verso is available with a new Avantgarde Bronze paint finish, new cloth upholstery in black and (optional) grey, and a new leather trimmed gear knob.

All versions of Verso bar the entry level Active model are equipped as standard with the Toyota Touch 2, the latest evolution of Toyota’s touchscreen-operated multimedia system. It comes with a new high-resolution screen that uses four times as many pixels as the original system, for bright, sharp images.

The package includes Bluetooth for hands-free phone calls and sending and receipt of text messages; a rear-view camera; vehicle information, including trip data, climate control profile (where fitted); and management of settings for door locking and lighting. It also enables simple connection of iPods and MP3 players via USB or Bluetooth, and, where available, will display album, artist and track information. Audio system options, such as the radio and CD player, can also be controlled using the screen.

May 2015

Toyota Verso range revised and upgraded

New Trend Plus model gains a rear seat DVD entertainment system as standard. The package includes neatly integrated seatback mounts with two monitors for independent DVD playback, or, with appropriate accessories, computer gaming. Two wireless headsets are also provided. Customers can choose to add optional, powered iPad holders.

Toyota is also offering the system as an option on Icon, Trend and Excel models in a variety of configurations, including permutations of master and slave DVD screens and single or double iPad docks.

Trend Plus models further benefit from leather upholstery for the front and second row seats and from the Toyota Touch 2 with Go touchscreen-controlled multimedia and connectivity system with integrated satellite navigation. The functions include DAB radio; advanced Bluetooth for hands-free phone use and music streaming; access to online functions for enhanced journey planning and information; and a reversing camera.

Other features, shared with the established Trend grade, include new-design 17-inch alloy wheels, front parking sensors, dual-zone air conditioning, rear privacy glass, power windows, seven airbags, front fog lamps and fold-down seatback tables for second row passengers.

All Verso powertrains comply with Euro 6 emissions standards. The options are a 1.6-litre petrol Valvematic unit with six-speed manual transmission; 1.8-litre Valvematic petrol with Multidrive S CVT; and 1.6-litre D-4D diesel with six-speed manual gearbox.

Further new features include a new design seven-spoke 16-inch alloy wheel design for Icon models and a new Tidal Blue metallic paint option. A space saver spare wheel is now standard on all Verso modes, except those specified with an optional panoramic roof.

The 2015 Toyota Verso is on sale now, priced from £17,770 for the five-seat Active model. Seven-seat models cost from £18,300 and the Trend Plus models start at £24,650.

March 2016

Toyota Verso gets a mid 2016 safety upgrade

A package of Toyota Safety Sense active safety and driver assistance features is added to the standard specification of every model.

Verso’s Toyota Safety Sense benefits include a Pre-Collision System that recognises an imminent impact with a vehicle ahead, triggering a warning to the driver and priming the brakes for extra stopping power the moment the brake pedal is pressed. If the driver fails to respond, Autonomous Emergency Braking is activated, automatically slowing the vehicle to reduce the force of any impact.

Verso also gains Automatic High Beam, which maintains excellent forward visibility when driving at night. It detects both the headlights of oncoming vehicles, and the tail lights of vehicles ahead, automatically switching between high and low beams to avoid dazzling other drivers.

The third Toyota Safety Sense element for Verso is Lane Departure Alert. This monitors lane markings on the road and helps prevent accidents and head-on collisions caused by a vehicle drifting out of its lane. If the vehicle starts to deviate from its lane without the turn indicators being used, the system alerts the driver with visual and audible warnings.

Verso is now offered in a new Design trim, alongside the established Active, Icon and Excel specifications. Available with the 1.8-litre Valvematic petrol engine with automatic transmission and the 1.6-litre D-4D diesel, it comes with the Toyota Touch 2 with Go multimedia system with satellite navigation and reversing camera, rear privacy glass and a (fixed) panoramic roof. These are in addition to the standard features of Icon grade, including DAB tuner, dusk-sensing headlights, cruise control, automatic air conditioning, six-speaker audio and power windows front and rear.

At the top of the range, Excel models gain the panoramic roof, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, high-intensity discharge headlights and combination leather and cloth upholstery.

Icon, Design and Excel versions of Verso can be specified with an optional, high-value family pack that provides two rear seatback screens with integrated DVD players and leather seat upholstery (first and second row seats) for £1,995. Other entertainment system combinations are available as stand-alone options, including permutations of master and slave DVD screens and single or double iPad docks.

New alloy wheel designs feature on the 2016 Verso – 16-inch for Icon, 17-inch for Design and 17-inch with a double-spoke arrangement for Excel, with an Anthracite dark grey finish. The colour choices include a new Platinum Bronze shade.

In the cabin there is a new leather-trimmed steering wheel with integrated switches for hands-free phone use and other functions. a new gear shift design and a new=look cloth upholstery for Icon and Design models. To free up more boot space, the tyre repair kit (when specified) has been relocated to the underfloor storage compartment behind the driver’s seat.

The Toyota Touch 2 system adopts a larger, seven-inch display and, where satellite navigation is specified, an improved interface for easier, more intuitive operation.

The 2016 Toyota Verso was priced from £18,120 for the five-seat Active model. Seven-seat models cost from £18,650 and the new Design grade models start at £23,405.

December 2016

Equipment upgrades and new price structure for 2017 Toyota Verso

2017 Verso line-up streamlines into three grades: Active, Icon and Design. The change has introduced some premium features to the Design models, which top the new range.

The Design trim level gains new 17-inch black alloy wheels and rear privacy glass in addition to the standard-fit panoramic roof. In the cabin, part-leather upholstery together with the latest top-end Toyota Touch 2 with Go multimedia, connectivity and navigation system. Controlled by a central touchscreen or by voice commands, this provides 3D map graphics, a text-to-speech function for text messages and connected services for better journey planning and local information. The price includes three years of free map updates.

The specification of Icon models has been raised with the addition of Smart Entry and push-button start, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, a new seat trim and sunshades for the rear doors. Toyota Safety Sense remains standard on all Versos, providing extra protection against accidents with a Pre-Collision System with Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking, Automatic High Beam and Lane Departure Alert.

Verso Icon and Design trim levels are 7-seaters. The entry-level Active model is 5-seater only

Choice of powertrains for Verso Design now includes the 130bhp 1.6-litre Valvematic petrol engine with six-speed manual transmission, in addition to the 1.8-litre Valvematic and 1.6-litre D-4D diesel units. Across the board, performance figures remain unchanged.