I MIGHT be losing my hair, but I am not quite ready for the Shady Oaks Home for the Soon to be Departed.

In short, there is life in the old dog yet.

You might think, therefore, that the Verso-S would not be my cup of milky tea.

But although Toyota's reputation in catering for the more mature end of the market might go before it, on this occasion I am prepared to rise up in defence of the marque.

I like the Verso-S. There I have said it, I like it. Look, I've said it again. And if you think that means I am ready for my Shackleton High Seat Chair, I beg to differ.

Toyota has played in this segment before with the Yaris Verso. But while that did look like a miniature hearse, the same cannot be said of the Verso-S.

It's neat and tidy with more than a smattering of style.

It may not be as flexible or as comfortable as say the Honda Jazz, which to my mind remains peerless, but it has more than enough going for it to make it worth considering.

Available in two grades, TR and T-Spirit, both are powered by a 1.33 litre VVT-i petrol unit. It might not be the strongest unit out there, but I didn't have cause to complain about. The test car came with the optional CVT automatic gearbox, which, although pedestrian at the off, can be manually overridden and makes the journey rather effortless.

It's true it's not the quietest engine out there, but most of that noise comes under acceleration and once up to speed it becomes much more civilised.

The town is the Verso's natural environment, but although it's out of its comfort zone on the motorway or twisting roads, treat it with care and the body lean isn't really an issue.

Inside, the dash and fascia are tastefully laid out with straightforward controls and buttons. Most functions are located within the touch-screen, which even on the basic car includes a colour reversing camera.

Other equipment includes electric windows in both the front and the rear, rear privacy glass, air conditioning and Bluetooth.

Space is a key part of the Verso-S, as you might expect, and not just to make life easier for us oldies to get in and out. This car is going to appeal to young families and as a father of two boys I know just how much room you need be it on a day out, picking up their mates from school or, as my wife would vouch, when playing the role of the soccer mom.

Both the front and rear have plenty of head and leg room. Slimmed down front seats help with this, but despite their size this does not impact adversely on comfort.

The rear seats fold 60:40 and can be dropped flat by clever little tilt levers in the boot. The boot itself is of a decent size and can be split into two levels to aid loading or help keep items apart.

If like me your cars interior regularly ends up looking like a war zone, the Verso has 19 separate storage compartments to at least give you somewhere to hide everything.

It might not be the best option in this particular sector, but the Verso-S is so much more than a granny wagon and if not for the young, it will certainly appeal to the young at heart.