A tie-up between Toyota and BMW has seen the Japanese manufacturer inherit a share of the German firm’s diesel engines, the first application of which is the 112hp 1.6-litre unit – familiar from the Mini – that replaces the former 2.0-litre diesel powerplant in the Verso mini-MPV.
The numbers alone make it a worthwhile transition because the latest engine brings economy up to 62.8mpg from the old unit’s 57.6mpg and emissions down to 119g/km from the former’s 129g/km, which leaves the Verso more competitive where it was previously struggling.
The new diesel is also a lot quieter than its predecessor, and even though it’s almost half a litre smaller, it doesn’t feel short on power.
More affordable versions than the top-spec Trend model we tested are available complete with the new engine.
New engine apart, the Verso continues to be a reasonable and sensible, if unexciting, small people carrier, with a third row of seats capable of carrying adults for short journeys.
It’s not the world’s most exciting development, but the new engine adds some much-needed corporate appeal to the Verso range.
