Toyota Yaris 1.33 Dual VVT-i Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Toyota Yaris 1.33 Dual VVT-i
Prices: £11,595-£13,335 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 4-5
Emissions: 119g/km
Performance: 0-60mph 11.7s / Max Speed 109mph
Fuel Consumption: (urban) 45.6mpg / (extra urban) 64.3mpg / (combined) 55.4mpg
Safety: ABS with brake assist, twin front and side airbags, curtain airbags, driver’s knee airbag.
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height mm 3785/1695/1530

TRY AN ON OFF RELATIONSHIP

Our Rating: 7.6 / 10

Toyota is expecting big things from its Stop & Start Yaris. Steve Walker takes a look.

Not so long ago, if your car’s engine conked out every time you pulled up at the traffic lights or came to a standstill in a jam, you’d have found it both inconvenient and annoying. Today, it’s a quality that’s positively desirable. At least, it is if your vehicle has a stop and start system installed. Toyota’s 1.33-litre Yaris supermini is one of a growing number of modern cars that use the technology to cut fuel consumption, emissions and even noise levels in urban areas.

It’s a problem that Toyota products have experienced across a range of different market sectors, one of identity. Everyone knows about the lofty standards of build quality and reliability that the world’s biggest car manufacturer routinely achieves but beyond that, its vehicles can be tricky for consumers to get a firm handle on in a crowded marketplace. The Toyota Yaris supermini is a prime example. It’s yet another competent Toyota but what is it about the Yaris that’s going to excite people like you, making you forgo all the other superminis and buy one? It isn’t especially stylish, practical, sporty or affordable, it’s by no means the bottom of the class but it has been easy to overlook. There are signs, however, that things could be changing. With the advent of Toyota Optimal Drive and the 1.33-litre Stop & Start model, could the Yaris finally be forging a niche for itself as a leading green option?

The decision to call the 1.3-litre petrol engine in the Yaris the ‘1.33’ doesn’t signal the start of a more precise engine naming policy at Toyota. It’s merely a device to underline the fact that this is a substantially different and more advanced powerplant than the old 1.3-litre lump that served the Yaris in the past. It benefits from Toyota’s Dual VVT-i variable valve timing technology and has an extremely high compression ratio for a petrol engine enabling it to extract larger amounts of energy from its fuel than equivalent units. The Stop & Start technology is the highlight though, and comes into play when the Yaris is stationary, the gear lever is in neural and the clutch is released. This gives the driver some control over the engine stopping process. If it’s clear that the traffic ahead is about to move, you just keep the clutch in and the Yaris 1.33 behaves like a conventional car.

As standard, the 1.33-litre engine is 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 other gearbox option is Toyota’s MultiMode robotised manual. In terms of performance, the 1.33-litre Yaris doesn’t disgrace itself in the manner of some economy-focused models. It has 100bhp on tap and 0-60mph takes a reasonable 11.7s.

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 and their luggage inside. The boot is 272-litres compared to 295 in the Ford but Toyota’s impressive EasyFlat rear seats split 60:4