The New Toyota Corolla Verso

KEY POINTS

• All new car (launched just two years after last model) to achieve best in the small MPV sector
• Unmatched flexibility and ease of use with Toyota Easy Flat-7TM, the world’s first full flat-folding system for all five rear seats
• On sale in the UK from 1 May 2004
• On the road prices from £14,495 (1.6 T2)
• Three trim levels – T2 ,T3 and T Spirit
• First MPV with nine standard airbags, including first-in-segment driver’s knee airbag
• New Cornering Assist plus Rear Park Assist Monitor (TV cameras) for increased safety at low speeds included in optional DVD full map navigation system on T Spirit, priced £2,300
• DVD-based turn-by-turn satellite navigation system available as an option, priced £1,350
• Three engine options, 1.6 (available in T2 grade only) and 1.8 VVT-i petrol and 2.0 D-4D common rail diesel
• Best-in-class insurance ratings, from 5E for 1.6 T2
• New Multi-mode Manual Transmission provides automatic and sequential operation in one system
• All models equipped with ABS and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution; Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control and Brake Assist standard on T3 and T Spirit grades
• Both navigation systems provide Electronic Traffic Avoidance (ETA), allowing automatic re-routing if congestion or delays are detected on a pre-programmed journey
• 2004 UK sales target of around 6,000 units; 2005 anticipated sales between 8,000 and 10,000 units

THE MAGICAL SEVEN

The new-generation Toyota Corolla Verso will challenge established perceptions of the compact MPV. A fully-fledged, seven-seat family car, the all-new Corolla Verso also offers a level of driving dynamics and quality far above that which the segment has hitherto offered.

The car benefits from wide application of new technologies, advanced active and passive safety systems and a neat and attractive design. Central to its success will be the revolutionary Toyota Easy Flat-7TM, by which all five rear seats can be folded down to create a perfectly flat load floor. No seats have to be removed and head restraints can remain in place. A simple, single motion is all that’s required to fold each seat down onto the vehicle floor. No other C-segment MPV has such built-in ease of use and flexibility.

BODY AND CHASSIS – SMOOTH AND QUIET

The all-new Corolla Verso’s exterior design was created at Toyota’s European design studio, ED2. The car is both taller and wider than its predecessor but the new-look’s smooth lines still achieve a best-in-segment Cd of 0.30. The aerodynamic shape has helped achieve a reduction in wind noise, especially around the windscreen wipers and underneath the car, and aids driving stability. New sound deadening materials and an acoustic-glass windscreen also contribute to the quiet ride.

The light and precise steering has been tuned for greater driving enjoyment. The position of the steering wheel has been changed to suit a more active driving style than in the former Corolla Verso and adjustment for rake and reach is now standard.

Built on a totally new platform, the Corolla Verso benefits from improved suspension that gives the car good stability and ride, whether there is one person on board or seven.

AUTOMATIC, MANUAL OR BOTH

The Corolla Verso is available with a choice of three engines: an entry-level 109bhp 1.6-litre VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing-intelligent) petrol unit, the responsive 127bhp 1.8-litre VVT-i petrol and a 114bhp 2.0-litre D-4D diesel engine, which delivers excellent torque and fuel economy. The 1.6 and 1.8-litre engines both comply with EURO IV regulations and the
2.0 D-4D diesel emits on average 47 per cent less particulate matter than its segment rivals.

All three engines are offered as standard with five-speed manual transmission, but the 1.8-litre VVT-i is also available with a new five-speed Multi-mode Manual Transmission (MMT) that provides a combination of automatic and sequential shifting. Fuel consumption is

improved when the car is driven in automatic mode, compared to the standard manual transmission. In addition, the MMT is much lighter and more compact than a conventional automatic.

SAFETY AND SECURITY – THE WHEELS HAVE EYES!

The car’s construction features Toyota’s Minimal Intrusion Cabin System (MICS), the same structure that helped the Toyota Avensis establish class-leading results in Euro NCAP crash testing. It also boasts a number of segment-firsts, such as the Cornering Assist Monitor, which helps the driver “see” around blind corners by means of a front-mounted miniature camera which relays real-time images to a dashboard display screen. This system is available as a £2,300 option exclusively on T Spirit models and is combined with a complementary Rear View Monitor system and full-map DVD-based satellite navigation with Electronic Traffic Avoidance (ETA).

Nine airbags are fitted as standard (including the segment’s first knee airbag) and there is a two-stage seatbelt warning system which combines a dashboard warning light and buzzer.

Top stopping performance comes courtesy of a braking system taken from the Toyota Avensis. Four discs bring the car to rest safely with the help of ABS and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD). In addition, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control (TRC) with Brake Assist (BA) are standard on T3 and T Spirit models.

Among the security measures adopted in the new car are an electric steering lock, an immobiliser fitted in an inaccessible position and two VIN plates on the bodyshell. A new tonneau cover hides the boot contents and can be neatly stored under the floor when not in use.

These measures make a considerable contribution to the new Corolla Verso’s best-in-class insurance ratings in the UK, starting at 5E for the 1.6 VVT-i T2 model.

FLAT PACK OR BRAT PACK

Equal attention has been paid to creating an interior that meets and exceeds the high customer demands in the compact MPV sector.

Thanks to the Toyota Easy Flat-7TM system, the new Corolla Verso is the only MPV in the world in which all five rear seats can be folded flat into the vehicle floor. What’s more, the folding system is the simplest to operate of all MPVs on the market: it takes just a single operation to fold down each rear seat.

The new Toyota Corolla Verso is available with the most advanced navigation equipment in its segment. The highly accurate DVD-based system, available as an option priced £1,350, is equipped with Electronic Traffic Avoidance (ETA), monitors traffic information in its route search programme and enables alternative routes to be presented if congestion or delays are detected ahead. The system also includes country guides and border displays, motorway entry/exit searches and a compass screen. There is also a high quality Panasonic audio system comprising built-in radio, CD player, amplifier and ancillary controls on the steering wheel.

The Toyota In-Car Entertainment system is standard on the T Spirit grade, comprising a DVD player connected to five-inch LCD screens installed in the back of the front seat headrests. The system can also be connected to game consoles and can play several disc formats, including VCDs, audio CDs and even MP3 files, ideal for keeping the family’s own brat pack quiet.

THE NEW COROLLA VERSO AND THE UK MARKET

The new Corolla Verso will be available in the UK from 1 May and sales of about 6,000 units are expected for the remainder of 2004. In 2005, 8,000 to 10,000 sales are anticipated. Across Europe, Toyota expects to sell 52,000 units of the new model this year, in addition to 13,000 of the current version.

Toyota expects the sales split between the different engine choices to be 65 per cent 1.8 VVT-i, 25 per cent 2.0 D-4D and 10 per cent 1.6 VVT-i. The breakdown of grades is expected to be T3 55 per cent, T Spirit 30 per cent and T2 15 per cent.

UK range and pricing

The entry level model is the 1.6 T2, the only version to be offered in the UK with the 109bhp 1.6-litre VVT-i engine. The 1.8-litre VVT-i petrol and 2.0-litre D-4D diesel models are available in T2, T3 and T Spirit grades, the 1.8 cars additionally offered with the option of Toyota’s new Multi-mode Manual Transmission.

The three equipment levels feature the following items as standard equipment:

The move from 1.6 to 1.8-litre power adds £500 to the price, with the move from 1.8-litre petrol to 2.0-litre diesel adding £1,000. The Multi-Mode Manual Transmission on the 1.8-litre adds £500. The move from T2 to T3 grade carries a £2,000 premium, while that from T3 to T Spirit adds a further £1,800. Full launch price details and UK insurance groups are given in the table below.

ENDS