FIRST DRIVE More power and technology come at a price
John McIlroy John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk@johnmcilroy
LOTS of brands are getting out of the small-car market, but Toyota views its baby models as great ways of bringing new, younger buyers into its showrooms. The Yaris supermini is at the heart of this, and now the latest generation has been treated to a mid-life nip and tuck.
This facelift differs from the usual bumpers-and-headlights fare, too, with heavily revised cabin tech instead of any major external changes. There’s also a new range-topping trim level and, in the case of the car we’re driving here, a more powerful petrol-electric hybrid powertrain.
It’s still based around a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol motor producing 91bhp, but the electric motor contributes a lot more to the overall output, boosting it from 114bhp to 129bhp. There’s more electric-motor torque available from the system, too – 185Nm compared with 141Nm.
Inside, the old analogue dials are swapped out from all but the entry-level Icon version, replaced by a fully digital instrument panel measuring seven inches or 12.3 inches, depending on trim level. Even the base model now gets a nine-inch infotainment system, while the top three grades feature the same 10.5-inch display as that found in the larger Corolla.
The range starts with Icon, from £22,630, then Design and Excel. The latter includes 17-inch wheels, keyless entry and start, dual-zone air-con, the bigger digital instrument panel and the 10.5-inch infotainment system, part-leather upholstery, auto-folding side mirrors and a wireless smartphone charger.
These three versions come with the original hybrid powertrain, so to get the extra power, you’ll have to spec at least a GR Sport, which also moves to 18-inch wheels and gets ambient cabin lighting, sportier seats and styling add-ons, and a couple of extra speakers on the audio system. Finally there’s the new Premiere Edition, which features two-tone paint as standard, along with a head-up display and fancier JBL speakers.
We’re trying a GR Sport here, to see how much of a difference the additional power and torque really make to the Yaris on the road. There’s no doubt that around town, you can feel better response when nipping through traffic or pulling out of junctions.
The petrol engine doesn’t seem to kick in as often; if anything, this system does an even better job of surviving without combustion – and the car’s CO2 emission figures support thi
