What is it?
The Verso replaces the Corolla Verso, which didn't actually use the 'Corolla' nomenclature after the
Auris turned up, but still, that's what it was. This new one banishes the whiff of Toyota's staid hatchback past for good - though the Jap firm has stuck rigidly to the MPV principle. That means seven seats in Toyota's 'Easy Flat-7' system so they can be folded quickly and easily - and configured in 32 different ways, somehow - plus more cubby holes than a North American forest.
Why's it here?
Because some parents don't care about being suburban gangstas after the kids have gone to bed, preferring a spacious, versatile and practical people carrier of old to a modern niche crossover or SUV. Toyota claims saloon-like ride quality and handling for its big MPV, which should help prevent holding onto the grab handles at every roundabout, as can be the case with cars like this. Four engines will power it: 1.6- and 1.8-litre petrol units mated to a six-speed manual or a CVT automatic (for the latter only), and a pair of diesels with 2.0- or 2.2-litre displacements. It's the bigger diesel that most dads will want, what with its 150 sensible horsepowers.
Show stopper or floor filler?
It arrives in April and looks very similar to the outgoing car, so amid the bevy of automotive beauties on display at Geneva, this gets a bit lost. Still, this is one of the few cars punters might turn up to the show looking to actually buy, so it'll be popular.
Mark Nichol - 5 Mar 2009