“Sport” button keeps the revs higher and makes the engine even noisier; start-stop system can be disabled.
But that’s as far as the luxury-supermini make-believe can go. Most of the switches clack when operated, basic plastic is everywhere in the cabin, and the doors produce a tinny sound when you close them. As a whole, however, the Yaris seems to be better built than the Vios – both come from Toyota’s bargain-basement section, but the Vios is from B2 whereas the Yaris is from B1 (a “higher” level).
It’s a compact hatchback, so the interior space is no more than adequate for four adults. Extra-skinny seatbacks eke out precious centimetres for the rear occupants, whose legs actually have some room to move (more so than their feet, which have to share the footwells with the mounting points for the front seats). The headroom is okay, and there are individual headrests and three-point belts for the trio behind, but it’ll be a squeeze for them. Two people would be seated more comfortably.
A “thinned” tailgate maximises the trunk space, which offers 60/40 split-fold rear seats and a two-tier, 286-litre volume. That’s a token increase of 11 litres, but more importantly, it’s now easier to organise the carried items. There aren’t any door bins in the rear, but the front seatback pockets are deep and wide.
New 1.33-litre engine is weaker than the old 1.5L, but its claimed fuel economy of 20km/L is far better.
Surprisingly deep and wide, too, is the driver’s seat squab, which is comfortable enough (for my backside at least). Visibility is fantastic in every direction. The steering wheel adjusts for both rake and reach, but the latter has a very limited range of adjustment. Automatic activation of the headlights and wipers makes life easier on the road.
Making the drive nicer are the standard paddle-shifters, quite a novelty in a supermini that doesn’t aspire to sportiness. Said plastic paddles are hooked up to a CVT (continuously variable transmission) with 7-speed override, called Multidrive S. It responds quickly, but doesn’t allow you to hold the “gear ratio” near the redline – not that anyone would want to do so on a regular basis, because the 1.33-litre engine gets buzzy beyond 4000rpm.
With less than 100 Japanese ponies (possibly from a French farm), the Yaris isn’t as perky as its 107bhp predecessor, but it won’t hold up traffic in town. The ride is jiggly and pretty noisy, but it’s acceptable for a supermini, while the handling is tidy enough (and the turning circle, tight enough) to carve a clean line through the local urban roadscape. All-round anti-lock disc brakes provide the stopping power, supplemented by electronic stability aids that are alien to the Vios/Altis owner.
So, the “Jap Russell” that is the new Yaris is indeed clever and cute, but at $128k on the road, a humble “street terrier” it is not.
This article was first published in the October 2013 issue of Torque.
Toyota Yaris 1.3 (A)
ENGINE 1329cc, 16-valves, inline-4
MAX POWER 98bhp at 6000rpm
MAX TORQUE 125Nm at 4000rpm
GEARBOX CVT with 7-speed override
0-100KM/H 12.6 seconds
TOP SPEED 170km/h
CONSUMPTION 20km/L (combined)
CO2 EMISSION 114g/km
