Toyota Yaris Review

Rating

Quick Summary

Average Toyota has made great strides in improving engine efficiency and design of its supermini, but it still lacks urgency, as our Toyota Yaris road test reveals.

Road Test

The Toyota Yaris has never looked great; the second generation's plump appearance in particular was not helpful in attracting younger buyers.

But mark III of the Japanese supermini is looking to address this issue, with its sharper exterior looks and generously equipped cabin.

In our Toyota Yaris review we liked the fresh look all around the car, with the front end heralding an all-new appearance for the company's range, while the rear is recognisably Toyota with hints of the Auris evident. With more poised front lights and a more angular front grille, the demeanour is a distinct improvement.

But the real success of the new Yaris is inside the car, and particularly the standard equipment list, which is impressive. The new car sees the entrance of an entertainment system called Toyota Touch that comes with a Bluetooth connection for phone and music, a 6.1-inch screen, a USB connection and a reversing camera. If you upgrade to Touch and Go sat nav, you get Google local search facilities and speed camera warnings. Costing only around £500, these features are simple to use and offer incredible value.

As for the rest of the interior, it feels as if it is constructed from reasonable quality plastics, but some of the fitting is poor, with the trim around the hand brake and on the centre of the dash flexing noticeably to the touch.

The new car is 100mm longer than its predecessor, so it is not surprising that there is plenty of room inside, for front and rear passengers. There is heaps of headroom, and the full length panoramic glass roof of the top-level T-Spirit floods the cabin with light and is a lovely addition.

The boot also comes with oodles of space, especially if you pay an extra £35 for the multi-level floor system that allows you to have a totally flat loading space when the rear seats are dropped.

The Yaris engine range is small, with the 1.4-litre diesel the most efficient with claimed combined fuel economy of 72.4mpg average.

The petrol engines are expected to most popular, with a 1.0-litre and a 1.33-litre on offer. But they are rather slow; even the larger of the two crawls to 62mph in 11.7 seconds when paired to the manual 6 speed gearbox. The dual clutch automatic option feels a little speedier at low speeds, but takes longer to continue to 62mph. It is a smooth and fluid setup, and given it also offers a better fuel economy and CO2 rating than the manual, is the more prudent option of the two.

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