Toyota targets Europes minivan segment

02 September 2010

Toyota Motors plans to re-enter Europes small minivan segment with the new Verso-S, a mini-MPV that will make its international debut at the upcoming Paris

Toyota Motors plans to re-enter Europe's small minivan segment with the new Verso-S, a mini-MPV that will make its international debut at the upcoming Paris motor show on 30 September, prior to the anticipated UK launch early in 2011.

The new Verso-S will be shortest minivan on sale in Europe, said the automaker, with a length of less than 4m. It will highlight efficiency in space management through a flexible, practical interior design, which has maximised comfort, usable space and perceived quality.

Complete specifications and details will be revealed on the motor show press day.

In 2006, the Japanese carmaker stopped selling its small minivan Yaris Verso in Europe, leaving a gap in the company's growing segment. When the Yaris Verso was launched in 1999, the segment recorded annual sales of 80,000 units in Europe. According to automotive data provider JATO Dynamics, the segment had sales of nearly 407,000 units in 2009.

In 2000, Yaris Verso sales peaked to 34,449 units. Overall, Toyota sold almost 158,000 Yaris Versos in Europe.

The new Verso-S will be based on the Rectis, a new generation Yaris-based model sold primarily in Japan.

According to JATO Dynamics, Europe's small minivan segment is currently led by the Vauxhall Meriva with 83,746 units sold in 2009, followed by the Citroën C3 Picasso with 75,723 units and the Renault Grand Modus/Modus with 71,054 units.

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