Car: Toyota Yaris range
Prices: £9,905-£14,385 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 1E-4E
Emissions: 106-120g/km
Performance: [1.33] 0-60mph 11.7s / Max Speed 109mph
Fuel Consumption: [1.33] (urban) 45.6mpg / (extra urban) 64.3mpg / (combined) 55.4mpg
Safety: ABS with brake assist, twin front and side airbags.
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height mm 3785/1695/1530
BATTLE OF THE BULGE
Our Rating: 7.9 / 10
Toyota’s latest Yaris has installed economy and low running costs as its top priorities. Steve Walker reports.
In the UK we buy superminis in massive quantities. These compact runabouts are well-suited to the congested urban journeys that typify the British motoring experience for so many of us but they’ll also hold their own amongst the cut and thrust of the motorway network, seat a family of four and swallow the results of the weekly supermarket excursion without too much drama. The supermini is the affordable one-size-fits-all solution to the problems of modern life and with so many car buyers making a beeline for this sector of the market, it’s vital for the mainstream manufacturers to have a competitive entrant. Toyota’s is called the Yaris.
When Toyota’s original Yaris was launched, it was unquestionably the finest supermini money could buy. Then we saw the Honda Jazz, the Ford Fiesta and others all offer more space than the compact Yaris could ever hope to compete with. Toyota launched the Yaris, it did well for a while, but then the market changed. A great little car was just that, great but little. A similar fate has befallen the second generation Yaris. It looked a substantial and spacious vehicle at launch but the subsequent arrival onto the market of the likes of Ford’s Fiesta, Fiat’s Grande Punto and Renault’s Clio have left the Toyota lagging a little in terms of sheer size. Tweaks to the latest models revealed a change of tack for the Mk2 Yaris. Rather than fighting the battle on space, Toyota is emphasising its car’s environmental credentials, an area in which the Yaris could excel.
Two VVT-i variable valve timing petrol engines are available – a 69bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit and the clever 100bhp 1.33-litre option which actually uses the more advanced Dual VVT-i configuration plus Stop & Start technology. Diesel buyers are catered for with a 90bhp 1.4-litre D-4D engine. The 1.0-litre unit requires a sleep-inducing 15.7s to trundle up to 60mph. Though adequate for shopping duties, buyers intending to venture beyond the city limits will find one of the two remaining engines a better match. The 1.33-litre Dual VVT-i engine will feel much stronger during everyday driving and its Stop & Start system will save fuel too. It comes into play by stopping the engine when the Yaris is stationary, the gear lever is in neural and the clutch is released. All you need do to restart the engine is dip the clutch. 0-60mph takes 11.7s in this model but that’s still slower than the 1.4-litre D-4D diesel’s 10.7s.
As standard the 1.33-litre engine and the diesel are mated to a clever 6-speed manual gearbox with a higher than usual 6th gear to boost fuel economy on higher speed runs. Toyota has also paid attention to smoothing out the shifting action, reducing noise and bringing improved feel to the clutch pedal. The 1.0-litre engine gets a five speed manual but the other option is Toyota’s MultiMode robotised gearbox which is available with the two larger engines. This can be set to allow manual shifts via the gear lever and steering wheel paddles or to take care of the cog swapping itself. There’s also a sportier mode which produces faster automatic changes.
The Yaris has never been one of the more striking superminis to look at but its compact curves are easy enough on the eye. The latest models blend the front bumper and bonnet more seamlessly than before while also incorporating protection mouldings designed to take the financial sting out of minor parking knocks. The front spoiler has also been lowered slightly giving a fractionally sportier look and together with a flatter design for the dirty side of the car, this helps aerodynamics, further improving efficiency.
Toyota’s exemplary build quality is evident in the Yaris cabin and you’ll search in vain for shoddily assembled trim components. The problem is that instances of design flare are similarly hard to come by in the rather bland cabin environment. The controls are sensibly positioned and extremely easy to get to grips with but with rival superminis offering some highly intelligent and charismatic interior designs, the Yaris falls a little short. It’s a shame because the car does the hard work so effectively.
Interior space is another thorny issue, a product of the Toyota being a noticeably smaller car than the latest crop of super-sized superminis. It’s over 16cm shorter than the latest Ford Fiesta and while this has its advantages when parking, it’s less beneficial when it comes to fitting four passengers
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