Toyota has also used this model-year refresh to introduce a new mid-range trim level to the Verso range. Called Trend, it bundles some of the most wanted items of optional kit together at a lower price. Verso Trends come with 17in alloy wheels, sat-nav, a reversing camera, front parking sensors, front foglights and privacy glass, so they’re good value.
But they also come with something Toyota calls a ‘floating roof effect’, as a supposed stylish point of difference. This actually means they have put an ugly black sticker over the car’s D-pillar, which just about creates the illusion of pillarlessness from a distance. At dusk. Sometimes. From normal range it just looks cheap and superfluous.
The Verso’s cabin is broadly pleasant, well finished and spacious, but here, too, a few places show the same uncharacteristic lack of attention to detail from Toyota. The instruments are offset into the centre of the fascia, away from your eyeline, apparently just for the sake of it; no extra oddment storage is created as a result. The fascia is smart, with one or two nice chrome trims, but it lacks colour and life.
The interior door handles feel flimsy and poorly finished. There’s decent passenger room, with second-row seats that tumble and slide independently, but none of the surprise practical features we’ve come to expect in the class. There’s just a telling lack of imagination and commitment about the fixtures and fittings.
The Verso’s driving experience, however, shows more careful consideration. The new diesel is as quiet and smooth as any in the class; particularly so at a steady cruise. It’s economical, too, returning 50mpg in mixed real-world use very readily, and closer to 60mpg if you’re economical of style. There’s no more low-end turbo lag to drive around than in many downsized diesels, and high-range flexibility is good.
Handling is assured and stable and body control is good, while the Verso steers accurately and with consistency of weight. It’s a precise, secure and obliging sort of a drive, although fairly humdrum. The car rides tidily, too, its dampers reining in body movement with some subtlety.
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recalls
Note how GM were aware of the ignition barrel fault for a long time, and did their best to ignore it for as long as possible... What was that? 2.5 million cars roughly?
Only a couple of days ago Ford had to recall about 0.5 million vehicles in North America, not their first biggie either. And going back a bit, the Ford Pinto saga could have been the end of Ford, thanks to their callous attitude to customers lives.
Literally yesterday, VW had to stop 25,000 cars being delivered in the US due to faults on brand new cars. Not forgetting the 1.6 million cars that had to come back due to DSG faults, with many more probably swept under the carpet.
And don't forget the mess Mitsubishi had after being found out with several hidden safety faults...
Not too long ago Volvo buried their head in the sand over ETM faults..
etc etc
They all have issues, it's just Toyota have given up trying to hide faults from view (and had a bad run, admittedly), and naturally get the stick because of their otherwise excellent reputation. Doesn't really tell you that much about the cars themselves.
I am sure its a faithful
Its a wonder they don't get involved in accidents more often, people are likely to pull out in front of them assuming the owner has indicated they have lost the will to live already.
Recall;
cars have been recalled.I often wonder how they manage to sell any cars at all,still I am sure
some fools will continue to buy Toyota.
A whole paragraph on the
catnip wrote:A whole
At least on the Jag it's integrated. I've seen a Yaris 'Trend' and its a cheap bit of sticky back plastic stuck on the C-Pillar. Naff is not an overstatement.
Fully aware these exist but didn't even bother looking when we've ended up with the Picasso, that Yaris put me off completely.
Just done a round trip to Germany with a car full in the wifes 1.6 115bhp Picasso. Averaged 53mpg over the week and will manage 70 when really trying so still better than this BMW unit.