On sale now, priced from £18,120, the MPV now features a packages Toyota Safety Sense active safety and driver assistance features as standard on every model.

Benefits include a Pre-Collision System that recognises an imminent impact with a vehicle ahead, triggering a warning to the driver and priming the brakes for extra stopping power the moment the brake pedal is pressed. If the driver fails to respond, Autonomous Emergency Braking is activated, automatically slowing the vehicle to reduce the force of any impact.

Verso further gains Automatic High Beam, which automatically switches between high and low beams to avoid dazzling other drivers.

The third Toyota Safety Sense element for Verso is Lane Departure Alert. If the vehicle starts to deviate from its lane without the turn indicators being used, the system alerts the driver with visual and audible warnings.

Verso also offers a new Design trim, which joins the established Active, Icon and Excel specifications and sits under the top-spec Excel.

Available with the 1.8-litre Valvematic petrol engine with automatic transmission and the 1.6-litre D-4D diesel, the Design comes with the Toyota Touch 2 with Go multimedia system with satellite navigation and reversing camera, rear privacy glass and a (fixed) panoramic roof. These are in addition to the standard features of Icon grade, including DAB tuner, dusk-sensing headlights, cruise control, automatic air conditioning, six-speaker audio and power windows front and rear.

The Verso also gains exterior and cabin changes, including new alloy wheel designs and colour choices include a new Platinum Bronze shade. There’s also a new leather-trimmed steering wheel with integrated switches for hands-free phone use and other functions plus new gear shift design and a new-look cloth upholstery for Icon and Design models.

The Toyota Touch 2 system adopts a larger, seven-inch display and, where satellite navigation is specified, an improved interface.

The 2016 Toyota Verso is on sale now, priced from £18,120 for the five-seat Active model. Seven-seat models cost from £18,650 and the new Design grade models start at £23,405.