Toyota offered the second generation of the Avensis in a few body shapes, including an MPV model named Verso, which it introduced on the market in 2001.
The Japanese carmaker took its time to introduce the Avensis Verso, and while some countries received it in 2001, others got it only in 2003. Australians were the luckiest ones, receiving right from the start. While its Avensis started to get more attention from customers thanks to its comfortable ride and wide engine range, the Verso was noticed for its interior space. In Europe, it faced harsh competition from the local carmakers. The mid-2000s was still a good time to offer an MPV on the market before the SUVs came and change the game.

With its high stance and tall greenhouse, the Avensis Verso shared some design cues with its sedan or station-wagon sibling. Its headlights showed a double-curved line on the inbound area. Its fat bumper with a straight lower grille tried to make the vehicle look very docile. There was not any aggressive line on the car. On the sides, the long roofline resembled the one on the Avensis Station Wagon, but the D-pillar was way thicker, with a triangular shape that formed a big blind spot for the rear three-quarter. It was a 2-3-2 seating configuration, with the last row being accessible via a tilt&slide second row of seats.

Under the hood, Toyota installed a narrower choice of engines when compared it to the sedan version. It was available with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine and a turbo-diesel.

Based on Toyota’s Avensis sedan and available on multiple markets, the Verso model was first unveiled in 1997 in Japan, being marketed as the Toyota Ipsum.
However, this seven-seater MPV was also known as the Picnic, SportsVan or just Avensis, especially in Australia. The first versions of the car were equipped with a 2.0- or 2.4- liter 16V gasoline engine as well as with a 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine that could develop 116 horsepower. The non-Japanese markets received the Verso in 2001, but it only had 2.0-liter engines. However, the MPV received the prestigious Australia’s Best People Mover award.