Toyota’s winning little hatch updated to keep winning.
The compact Toyota Yaris, one of the strongest global sellers for the Japanese marque, has been given a facelift to keep it fighting-fit before a full-model replacement rolls about. Headlining changes are to the exterior design and to the drivetrain, while the offered lineup in Europe gets simplified and new technology is distributed liberally.
The Yaris is now powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol motor, replacing the 1.33-litre unit in the older car, and is now capable of 82kW and 136Nm. The century sprint is completed in a (relatively) sprightly 11.0-seconds. The Yaris hybrid, a healthy seller in Europe, has also received changes to its engine mounts, roll restrictor, front driveshafts and subframe which reduces noise and vibration, Toyota claims. The suspension and steering have also seen revisions to help make the Hybrid a little more engaging.
The whole range benefits from visual upgrades though, with the front and rear designs working to give the Yaris a little more athleticism. There are new lights on either end, with the headlights gaining Toyota’s forked LED daytime running lights on higher grades. The cabin sees updates to its available upholsteries, their colours, and the trim details. Instruments and dials have been mildly revised, and higher-spec variants get a 4.2-inch colour screen nested between the analogue dials.
In Europe, the Yaris is offered in Entry, Mid, Mid+, Bi-Tone and Chic trims, with Toyota’s Safety Sense driver assistance package bundled in as standard. Safety Sense offers things like a pre-collision system, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), active high beam, and lane departure warning.
The new Yaris will be unveiled officially at the Geneva motor show next month, where we are likely to glean more details.
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