Toyota Verso (2007): first official pictures

By Jack Carfrae

First Official Pictures

03 July 2007 10:47

A new Toyota Verso? It looks just like the old one!

Yes, it does. Honestly, the lengths manufacturers go to persuade us - and you - that a facelift is important! All-new! Ground-breaking! Nope, the Verso's latest revisions bring none of those things. They do bring more angular front and rear light clusters, plus a revised nose with a tweaked grille and chunkier front bumper. Blink and you'll miss 'em, but the new styling cues echo Toyota's latest design look espoused by Yaris and Auris. There’s nothing new on the mechanical front, but there is a new mid-range SR model with some extra treats.

No, no, no - the SR isn't a sporty trim, it's Toyota’s wallet-friendly addition to the Verso range. It gets all the goodies from the T3 model, and adds tinted rear windows, a roof spoiler, rear parking sensors and 16-inch alloys - despite costing less than the T3 models upon which they're based. Tweaks elsewhere include top-spec T-Spirit and T180 models gaining the option of sat-nav and Bluetooth, whilst the entry-level T2 model gets an uprated sound system. Mid-range T3 models get dual-zone climate control and numerous flashy interior details. A very Toyota facelift, then: sensible, wallet-appealing tweaks, but little to excite anyone remotely interested in driving. But the Verso remains a clever compact MPV, with five very-easy-to-fold rear seats. Even if it is a tad dull...

By Jack Carfrae