Successor to the Yaris Verso, the Toyota Verso-S is the Japanese car manufacturer’s re-entry into the B-MPV segment in the UK, filling the gap that the Yaris Verso left after 2005. It looks like a good candidate in its niche, measuring less than four metres long yet still offering enough leg room and bringing together comfort and affordability as well. While there are no engine options available (you’re stuck with a 1.33 VVT-i petrol engine), there are two trim levels to choose from, both of which come with reasonable specs. Standing toe-to-toe with direct rivals, the Toyota Verso-S can hold its own against the competition.

Pros

Toyota aimed to make the Verso-S more appealing in terms of styling than the Yaris Verso and was generally successful, making use of a design language that’s very visible on the car’s front end. The front bumper’s L-shaped profile limits air flow beneath the car while nice contours help to reduce bulkiness. The Verso-S also comes with a discreet spoiler that achieves modest drag control and secondary lights set wide and low in the rear to make the vehicle less top-heavy. As for the interiors, the Toyota Verso-S has remarkable headroom for a car its size.

This is a vehicle not meant to highlight speed but it does respond satisfactorily under urban conditions. It has good brakes too and can withstand hard use. Adequate bump absorption is observed, offering comfort expected of a vehicle in its class.

Low running costs are to be expected compared to other petrol variants, with low road taxes attracting buyers. Fuel economy is average but decent enough. The Toyota Verso-S is for you if you’re looking for a small car that is easy to drive and can seat four people with luggage.

Cons

While leg room is indeed enough to make passengers comfortable, it is nothing spectacular and isn’t much better than what one would get from a standard hatch. There’s a lot of headroom inside as well but low-grade graphics underwhelm, making the dashboard disappointing even with a new touchscreen infotainment system in place. Versatility also appears to be lacking in the Verso-S considering the kind of name it has. All it’s capable of, after all, is a rear bench that simply folds flat and nothing else. There’s no luggage room shortage for the Verso-S so this feature does very little to make the car more enticing.

The Verso-S runs quietly at lower revs but wind and road noise eventually catch up, making it impossible to have a calming ride. It also feels strained running at normal motorway speeds despite having a low weight.

Full list price is on the steep end compared to others of the same class offering petrol and diesel engines. Savings can be expected with low road taxes but it doesn’t really offer much given its price. There is no brilliance or originality in the Toyota Verso-S that would justify its cost. It can’t even be called multi-purpose although it’s part of the MPV segment. It simply addresses the primary function of a car adequately; nothing more, nothing less.