Inspired facelift

It’s only a small car, but a £70 million midlife update is big news. The Yaris has gone all European, writes Matt Kimberley

While this is ‘just’ a mid-life update, the pace of development in the supermini class is rocket-ship fast and Toyota had to bring major updates or the Yaris would have been left behind.

The dashboard and interior are as all-new as you’ll ever find on an updated model, and feels a whole lot more European than ever. The seat fabrics, alloy wheel designs and even the media interface unit are refreshed. The Toyota Touch 2 is a faster-responding unit with satnav compatibility, and it can cleverly interact with smart phones to increase functionality both ways. The exterior styling has been sharpened up in a big way. The new Yaris takes design cues from the smaller Aygo, which was unveiled a few weeks beforehand. It’s not as extreme Yaris scores lots of points for its driving demeanour. A stiffer body, softer suspension and stronger anti-roll bars means that bumps are more confidently absorbed, while body roll is better controlled. at the front end as the pocketsized Aygo, but it’s better for it. It finds a good balance between sharp and classy. Toyota’s image is well back on course to rebuild the pride and reputation that it had built up before its infamous run of recalls a few years ago. Its reliability is still proving pretty unbeatable. The boot isn’t the biggest in the class, but it is quite broad so you can get decent-sized baggage in there. It’s a more mature drive than before. Of all the engines on offer, the one diesel option feels the strongest, but it’s not well suited to short journeys because it takes longer to warm up and its diesel particulate filter can clog as a result. The 1.0-litre petrol is a charming, affordable option for town driving, while the hybrid is a pricey but wonderfully refined range-topper that does a good job of minimising urban fuel usage. The 1.33 petrol is a good all-round compromise. All-in-all, though, thanks to the huge re-fit, the interior is a vastly improved place to plonk your posterior. It feels much more European and much more upmarket.

The likely big-selling trim grade is Icon, for good reason. It has everything you really want and need, including the Touch 2 media interface, and comes at a very attractive price – especially with the smallest petrol engine.