Motorism

Exiled regional motoring correspondent Barry Betterware shares his views on the new Toyota Vulgario.

I had been waiting to get my hands on this little gem ever since I saw the pictures and rave reviews in the national press. Now, at last, Thatchams of Cromer have taken delivery of a demonstration model, and last week I was privileged to be among the first twenty five lucky souls to take the wheel.

I was granted a full day with W441 PRT, which was waiting for me outside the showroom at 8:30am. Sales manager Tom Hegarty had made sure that the car was brimmed with petrol - full marks Tom!

The vehicle looked resplendent in a beautiful shade of metallic cream -almost the colour of champagne. As I eased myself into the comfortable driving seat -firm and supportive, but not too boy-racer-ish, I noticed the familiar T-bar of an automatic gearbox. Marvellous!

Once I had familiarised myself with the controls, I twisted the ignition key, selected Drive and eased out into the morning rush hour. As I threaded my way through the traffic in the direction of a nearby leisure drive, many of the other drivers looked baffled at the car, each trying to steal a glance at the chrome badging on the boot lid.

The Cromer rush hour evaporated once I had passed through the Maltings industrial estate, and an altercation with one of the increasing number of "white van men" outside the B&Q warehouse served to highlight the impressive fit of the window rubbers. I could scarcely hear his bawling, and set off cheerily towards the countryside, his fist-waving hysteria getting smaller in the well-positioned rear-view mirror.

Once I had passed the National Speed Limit sign adjacent to the silage works, I decided to put the car through her paces, and, checking for other road-users, pressed my right Brogue into the luxurious carpet beneath the accelerator. The 1.6 petrol engine roared into life, and the car gathered momentum at a decidedly satisfactory rate.

The independent suspension coped admirably with the bumps and the changes of camber on the B1877, and only once did my spectacles case shift out of my reach on the rubberised portion of the dashboard. As I settled back and enjoyed the cream trim and high-quality velour of the cabin, my driving gloves found the steering wheel to be exceptionally well-knurled.

Stopping near the reservoir to enjoy a sandwich, I had the opportunity to examine the rear seats. The Toyota's appeared perfectly ample for giving fellow residents lifts to the Parish Council meetings, although I must profess that the lack of under-thigh support would prove troublesome to myself on a long motorway journey.

Upon retrieving my sandwiches from the boot, I was struck by the ingenuity of the car's designers in positioning the jack and tools in the hollow centre of the spare wheel. This maximises space, with the result that the boot, a practical hatchback, would comfortably accommodate a couple of sets of golf clubs, or several boxes of surplus items for the monthly car boot sale.

As I munched on my sandwiches, a couple of keep-fit buffs took time from their morning jog to admire the purposeful curves of the front end. Comment was passed especially on the way that the indicators are cleverly integrated into the headlights. The overall impression of the styling was a positive one, although the baser versions of the car lack the body-coloured bumpers and mirrors which are such a boon come re-sale time.

As the day wore on, I decided to take advantage of the climate control in the Vulgario, and stowed my jacket in the rear on a durable hook above the door, and my cagoul in a concealed pocket in the armrest which would be ideal for concealing valuables when parking in undesirable locations such as council estates, or near comprehensive schools. In the glare of the afternoon sunlight, all the dials remained easily visible, and the controls fell easily to hand when the heavens opened and the wide-span windscreen wipers had to be deployed.

By the time I returned the car to Thatcham's, I was decidedly reluctant to part with it, but by the time Tom prised the keys from my hand, I had built up quite an impression of Toyota's latest mid-range offering. It's a sprightly car in basic trim, (though I would have given my eye teeth to try the sporty 2 litre variant!), and just the thing for the upwardly-mobile middle manager, or retired couple, possibly with a medium-sized dog.

For more information about the Toyota Vulgario and any other Toyota model, not to mention a large range of pre-owned vehicles, contact Thatcham's of Cromer on Cromer 224457. My thanks to Sales Manager Tom Hegarty for his help and assistance.