"In 1996, when it was first introduced, we laughed at it, because it seemed so stupid."
- Jeremy Clarkson on the Picnic
"I mean, why name a car after something you might do in it? Picnic."
- Richard Hammond on the Picnic's name
The Toyota Picnic is a compact MPV van and European badged version of the Toyota Ipsum produced from 1995 to 2010. The second-gen Picnic is rebadged as Avensis Verso a similar badged version of the Toyota Yaris Verso.
Engines range from 2 to 2.4-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine while turbocharged in 2 to 2.2-litre diesel engines. The Picnic (as Avensis Verso) ceased production in 2010 with no replacement.
In 1999, the Picnic won Top Gear's Car of the Year award.
Appearances[]
- Series 37, Episode 11 (Old Top Gear), the Picnic first debuted in Top Gear programming as part of Series 37, Episode 11's mini test. It was driven by presenter Jon Bentley.
- Series 3, Episode 14 (TGT) In the Series 3 finale of The Grand Tour, an example of a Toyota Picnic, R940 EHU, was taken to an empty strip of land before presenter Richard Hammond thoroughly smashed it up using a bat and sledgehammer, referring to the Picnic as "the Allegro Estate of modern times".