Assured choice
Nobody buys small cars anymore, right? Not exactly. In 2019 alone Toyota sold 224,000 third-generation Yaris on the continent, taking a 7.6 per cent share of the B-segment market in the process. That’s not bad form at all considering the rivals.
Now, the Yaris has been redesigned from the ground up. Good-looking thing isn’t it? The folded rear end and the optional two-tone paint mean it’s recognisably Toyota, and you’ll spend most of your time behind the wheel looking at those rear arches in the mirrors. Nice.
It’s based on an all-new compact car platform known as GA-B, which has allowed Toyota to make it 5mm shorter than the outgoing model, though the wheelbase has grown by 50mm and the whole car is 50mm wider and 40mm lower. That also means the old Yaris seating position, which was presumably inspired by the Routemaster, is no longer present. Here you sit 60mm further back compared to the previous generation, and the hip point is over 20mm lower too.
Propping up the range is the base spec Icon trim – which starts at £19,910 – but even that’s decently equipped, with a smaller seven-inch touchscreen, reversing cameras and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. It’s a far more grown-up interior all round, with a modern design, easy-to-use climate control buttons and an optional 10-inch HUD. The only letdowns are the cheap plastics, the lack of rear headroom and the difficult to read digital dials.
Whilst the trim levels and option packs are plentiful, here in the UK we’ll only get one powertrain. It’s a 1.5-litre 3cyl connected to a small lithium-ion battery and an electric motor. Total output to the front wheels is 114bhp and 89lb ft of torque. That may not sound like much, but the Yaris only weighs a little over a tonne so manages a respectable 0–62mph time of 9.7 seconds. The hybrid system is well integrated too, silently switching to EV mode whenever you come off the accelerator and for most town driving. As a result, a real-world 60mpg isn’t impossible.
Not for the first time though, the real hindrance here is the e-CVT gearbox, which allows the revs to flare under any form of acceleration and fills the cabin with engine noise. The steering is exceptionally light too and provides little feedback, although the tight 5.2m turning circle is particularly impressive.
In fairness, if you drive this how a Yaris should be driven, then it’s an acceptable mode of transport that can be quiet, efficient and – thanks to very eager active systems – safe. Unfortunately, it’s once you start to get a move on that things get a little messy and your confidence in the dynamics dwindles.