The Toyota Yaris is one of those cars, like its big brother Corolla, that is hard to get particularly excited by, but is also equally hard to go past when it comes to actually laying money down and buying it.
It is not exciting, but that legendary Toyota reputation, paired up with the fact that you can always nail down a killer deal, always puts it into contention.
We head down to Wellington on a stunning day to find out if the new Yaris adds more to that equation.
What is it?
The baby Toyota that sits firmly in the second place in its segment. While this is not a position that Toyota is traditionally used to, the utter domination of the segment by the Suzuki Swift in recent history has kept the Japanese giant firmly relegated there in this country.
The Yaris comes in three grades with a choice of two engines and two transmissions.
The GX kicks the range off with a 63kW/121Nm 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine hooked up to a choice of either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission.
The GX comes standard with 15-inch steel wheels, 7 airbags, a 6.1-inch touchscreen, reversing camera, remote central locking, cruise control, Bluetooth, steering wheel mounted phone and audio controls, manual air conditioning and cloth seat trim. The GX lands at $22,990 for the manual and $24,990 for the automatic.
The SX is next up in the range and is only available with an 80kW/141Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine hooked up to the four-speed auto.
The SX gets all the spec of the GX, but adds 15-inch alloy wheels, chrome interior accents, a leather multifunction steering wheel and gear knob with silver stitching, climate control air conditioning and front fog lamps. The SX retails for $26,990.
Lastly, the ZR tops the Yaris range and, while it also comes with the same engine/transmission as the SX, adds 17-inch alloy wheels, sports seats, a carbon-look instrument panel, a leather sports multifunction steering wheel and gear knob, LED low beam headlights, LED taillights, an exterior sports body kit,automatic headlight levelling and rear privacy glass for $28,990.
The ZR can also be had with a satellite navigation unit that features the SUNA Traffic Channel and voice recognition for an extra $1,000.
What’s it like?
While the Yaris has always lagged behind the opposition in the segment (including most of the cars it outsells), that Toyota legend counts for a hell of a lot. But with the recent launches of some remarkably strong competition – the Ford Fiesta EcoBoost, the new VW Polo, the startlingly good Honda Jazz, just to name a few – the Yaris would come under increased pressure from below, so it needed to up its game, yes?
Absolutely. So that is why that fact that it hasn’t is so disappointing.
The “new” Yaris is basically a mild facelift that sees a new nose, new taillights, a new dashboard and a bit more spec added, along with the introduction of the ZR model.
While there are new bells and whistles (that are all actually very good), the basic Yaris remains unchanged. That means most of the bodywork and all of the underpinnings remain the same as the old car.
The engine is unchanged, but still holds up remarkably well and comes across as an impressively flexible, eager little unit that is always pretty refined and enjoys a rev.
But the big disappointment is the elderly 4-speed automatic transmission. While it isn’t actually a bad transmission, the lack of ratios is almost an insult in this day and age. A modern CVT would be better in this application…
That said, the Yaris remains a pleasant little car (albeit a reasonably cynical one) that does keep up with the opposition in terms of pretty much everything else.
What’s good about it?
The Yaris can still hold its own on a winding road, despite the obvious shortcomings of the transmission. The engine is an eager little unit that still feels remarkably modern and willing.
The boost in standard specification is impressive and welcome, while the new nose is handsome and surprisingly striking.
What’s not so good?
The elderly transmission and the rather cynical approach from Toyota regarding the “newness” of the model (which is pretty much “Ah, we’ll sell shitloads of ‘em anyway, so let’s not get too carried away”). Which you can’t really blame them for, because people will keep buying them…
Also the seat fabric of the ZR is simply horrific…
First impressions?
While it is disappointing that Toyota haven’t put more effort into keeping the Yaris up with the opposition in terms of mechanical underpinnings, the new look and big boost in standard specification is nicely in keeping with the rest of the segment.
The Yaris remains a pleasant small car that does most things nicely and very few things poorly. It is cheerful, well built and roomy, while offering more than adequate performance and excellent comfort and practicality.
The big disappointment comes more from the cynicism of the 4-speed auto, rather than its actual performance, but the fact remains that the Yaris lags behind the opposition in this regard.
Probably not badly enough to put a dent in its sales though…
Models/prices
Toyota Yaris GX manual – $22,990
Toyota Yaris GX automatic – $24,990
Toyota Yaris SX automatic – $26,990
Toyota Yaris ZR automatic – $28,990
Powertrain: 1.3-litre inline 4-cylinder petrol producing 63kW/121Nm; 5-speed manual transmission/4-speed automatic; front-wheel drive (GX),1.5-litre inline 4-cylinder petrol producing 80kW/141Nm; 4-speed automatic; front-wheel drive (SX and ZR)
Fuel consumption: 5.7L/100km (GX manual), 6.3L/100km (GX auto, SX and ZR)
CO2 emissions: 134g/km (GX manual), 147g/km (GX auto, SX and ZR)
Safety
ANCAP/EuroNCAP rating: Five stars
Air bags: 7
Stability control: yes
Lap/diagonal belts: 5
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