Ractis

Vehicle: 2011 Toyota Ractis Verso
Price as tested: CDN$23500

Performance: Our tester comes with only one powertrain choice. That is Toyota’s proven 1NZ-FE which is 1.5 liter DOHC 16-valve with VVT-i variable valve timing and intelligence technology. Despite of its smallish size, its level of refinement and flexability are up to what we expect from Toyota. It has a decent 109hp and 115 lb/ft of torque at driver’s disposal. While you won’t be mistaken Ractis as an IS350, it certainly got what it should be done as an economy car. Even if it has to carry 1130kg of weight through its paces. The 7-speed CVT with paddle shifters have worked surprisingly well, which doesn’t generate as much noises as we expected. The paddle shifters are able to let driver to work its way on different rpm to keep the Ractis moving. On the other hand, this powertrain combination has given exceptional fuel economy which we had an average of 6.3 liters per 100km with 80% of city driving.

Handling: While the chassis feels a bit detached and steering continues to have some sorts of numbness, as expect from a Toyota. Ractis’s dynamic abilities are a delightful surprise. The steering feels downright precise and sharp even if its an electric variety. It is able to track its path accordingly without feeling twitches. Ride quality has to be rated as one of the bests, which is able to absorb all the bumps and roughness with ease. Push into corners, Ractis provides some sorts of entertaining factor which have lost with many of Toyota’s small offerings. There are some terminal understeer and body rolls are controllable. Dynamically speaking, Ractis offers a lot of delightful surprises consider Toyota’s recent efforts.

Brakes: With front discs, rear drums and standard ABS; Ractis’s braking performance is another delightful surprise. The stopping distance is short while pedal feels alive. ABS doesn’t step in unnecessarily wrap up the whole dynamic package.

Interior: As a huge hatchback fans, Verso’s luggage space is very appealing. With the rear seats fold down completely into the floor, it got surprisingly amount of luggage space given its compact dimensions. With minimal side instrusions and a flat floor, Ractis is able to swallow anything one can imagine.

There are surprising amount of rear leg and headroom judging by its physical dimensions.

In front, its standard velour seats are well-foamed and comfortable. All the auto climate control and stereo are initutive at best. Unfortunately, everything have been wrapped up with those cheesy plastic.

Conclusion: The Ractis Verso is an exciting offering from Toyota. Its not only its surprisingly entertaining to drive through twisties, its amount of interior space and feature content would make anyone surprise of its merits. What really seals the deal for me is the CVT, when it comes with paddle shifters, don’t generate as much noises as I expected. Best of all, it offers lots of value for your money with a sense of character, which we have rarely seen from Toyota in the last couple of years. If all of the above mean the giant is finally awakening…….hopefully.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2011 Toyota Ractis Verso
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Performance: 3.5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 3.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 3.75/5

Vehicle: 2010 Toyota Ractis 1.3 Luxury
Price as tested: CDN$23000 (Estimated)

Performance: When you consider Ractis shares the same platform with Yaris, its base 1.3 liter 4-cylinder engine is basically the entry-level engine choice in the whole series. This little mill has 87 horses and 93 lb/ft of torque, which is a typical commuter car powerplant. While you won’t expect breathtaking performance from a small 1.3 liter, even with both DOHC and Toyota’s variable valve timing technology called VVT-i for intake. The engine sounds refined and smooth for the most part. That’s until you get to its CVT gearbox. When you need to accelerate from standstill to 100km/h, you have to live with about 14 seconds of noise generating from this CVT. We have always been big fans of CVT, the reasons being for its silky smoothness and fuel economy provided through gearless sensation. But Toyota’s CVT is definitely not some of the better ones we have experienced. Better yet, go with Ractis’s 5-speed manual which is a far better choice.

Handling: When pushed through corners, Ractis’s high driving position tends to exaggreate the amount of body rolls and understeer. Unlike the Yaris it is based on, you feel like driving on top instead of inside the car. That’s despite the fact that Ractis’s center-of-gravity is pretty low due to its hatchback origin. On the other hand, the electric power steering feels rather numb and dead. As one expects from Toyota appliance. However, the steering response is decent. The lack of electronic stabililty control is an oversight by Toyota. Perhaps its another corner cutting from Toyota when it comes to active safety feature.

Brakes:Even if the Ractis is standard with brake assist and electronic brake force distribution, the lack of ABS is another oversight in Toyota’s part. The front discs and rear drums provide good enough pedal feel. The pedal feels alive whenever driver pushed it into the bottom, with a couple of hard stops.

Interior: The single biggest difference between Yaris and Ractis is the amount of cargo space for the latter. It all begins with a completely squared cut-off for ease of cargo loading, then a low liftover which cut off on top of the bumper. The icing on the cake is the fold down rear seats which completely fold flat into the floor, which is something the Yaris is never able to achieved.

There are plenty of head and legrooms for rear passengers, once again, thanks to its boxy design.

On the front, I am still not fond of the center instrumentation gauges. The rest of the interior is typical small car layout, which means all the stereo and climate controls are logically placed for excellent ergonomics. Sadly, the use of nasty hard plastic has dampened the whole interior ambience.

Conclusion: With a proper 1.5 liter engine, a sportier suspension and a nicer interior; Ractis could well become a worthy Soul rival in North American market. In the meantime, we might have to stuck with those aging Scion Xa and Xb for a while.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Toyota Ractis
=====================================
Performance: 2/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 2/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 2.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 2/5

Overall rating: 2.75/5