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.