Short of a general anaesthetic, I can't think of any circumstances in which I would willingly travel in a Toyota Yaris Verso - I mean, have you looked at it? - but the Corolla Verso is an entirely different kind of hospital trolley.Not nearly as stylish as the Corolla hatchback, which I consider to be one of the best-looking cars in its class, the Verso makes up for that by being a hugely practical device, roomy and unexpectedly pleasant to drive, and in this case fitted with a very businesslike two-litre turbo diesel engine.It hadn't struck me (sorry!) till I started writing this report that Verso must have something to do with versatile, and that adjective is as good a starting point as any other. In the five-seat compact MPV category, owners probably want to have lots of stowage spaces as well as the possibility of chucking the seats around, and the T3 fills the bill.There's a pretty good load area over the back, and more, of course, when you start splitting, folding or removing the rear seats, which can also be reclined to give a more comfortable position on a long run.The outer rear seats have a simple but ingenious arrangement by which they can be raised to give children a better view out while still wearing seatbelts.Up front, the driving position is quite elevated too, as with other cars of this high-roofed style. Passengers in both parts of the cabin have a generous amount of space. The front seats offer unusually well-shaped side support for a car with no sporting pretensions, and the driver has a generally good view, except that the very laid-back A-pillars do get in the way at junctions.Helping to provide more clear floor space up front - and a walk-through facility if you don't trip over the handbrake - the gear lever is mounted on the centre console. Only a few Toyotas have a really satisfying gearchange action, and this isn't one of them, but if you squeeze rather than sweep the changes through you can avoid the familiar clonk.Toyota uses the same rather hazy model designations for the Verso as it does for the Corolla hatchbacks - T2, T3 and T Spirit. There's no T Sport specification for the Verso (well, there wouldn't be, would there?) and wherever the T1 label may be used, it apparently isn't in this country.So the T3 is the mid-range Verso, adding alloy wheels, front foglights and air-conditioning to the T2 specification. Extra-cost options include Toyota's clever but simple Electronic Traffic Avoidance System, which, with no subscription charge, works in conjunction with the satellite navigation (another extra, of course) to identify traffic hold-ups and suggest a way round them.Out on the road, although it's heavier and bulkier than a Corolla hatchback, the Verso performs pretty strongly, and isn't clumsy to drive. It's remarkable what a turbo diesel engine offering just under 90bhp can do (the 109bhp intercooled version isn't available in the Verso) when it also provides 158lb/ft of torque from 2200rpm. Long climbs are no problem, although a fully laden D-4D Verso will appreciate it if the driver slips down a gear.A 70mph cruise at 2600rpm is relaxed. Allthough there's more wind noise than with the hatchback, it's not enough to create a problem.The Verso rides well and, while the D-4D is more nose-heavy than the petrol versions, it's a car which can be scampered along winding roads more smartly than its appearance suggests.Second opinion: I spent a few days racking up an awful lot of miles in the Verso and quickly grew to like it a lot. It's not so much that it's outstanding in any one area (with the possible of exception of front headroom, of which there is a colossal amount), more that it does all its various jobs well and without fuss. My biggest criticism is that the indicators seem unwilling to cancel without manual intervention, and I would have preferred more adjustment on the steering wheel to get a better driving position, but if that's the worst I can come up with there obviously isn't much wrong with the car. Oh, and don't be fooled by the rather feeble-looking power output - the D-4D's mid-range grunt is quite sufficient for a vehicle of this type. David Finlay. Engine 1995cc, 4 cylinders Power 89bhp Fuel/CO2 45.6mpg / 164g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 13.5 seconds Top speed 106mph Price £15,495 Details correct at publication date
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