ROAD TEST 2016 TOYOTA YARIS BENEFITS FROM MAZDA ZOOM-ZOOM
Toyota’s new Yaris a fun and functional rebadged Mazda2
A fter ensuring that no enthusiasts are within earshot, I’ve often recommended such cheap and reliable subcompacts as the Toyota Yaris to buyers, who actually appreciate their forgettable characters.
And then along comes the 2016 Yaris Sedan. While the hatchback continues its tradition of bland yet honest mediocrity, the fourdoor model has been replaced by a changeling. It may wear the same badge, but that’s the only thing it shares with its predecessor and its brand mates because the newest Yaris sedan isn’t a Toyota at all. It’s a Mazda.
It may seem unlikely that a huge multinational known for its millions-strong swarm of death-resistant driving appliances would ally itself with the originators of the zoom-zoom ethos. But it isn’t the first time that Toyota has partnered with another manufacturer to enrich its gene pool; there have been joint efforts with Subaru, General Motors and even an Aston Martin alliance that produced the bizarre little Cygnet.
Joining forces to reduce production costs on low-profit budget vehicles just makes good business sense. It’s much more economical for Toyota to re-badge a Mexican-built Mazda2 sedan (discontinued in Canada) than it is to build and import from Japan. And the icing on the cake is a Yaris with Mazda driving dynamics.
The new Yaris makes a great first impression … from the side. The abundance of swoops and sharp creases create some interesting surface energy. But the face will often get a double take. The yawning Mazda grille framed with liplike trim gives it the look of a puckered-up bottom feeder. But from behind the wheel, the Yaris’s unfortunate face is quickly forgotten.
Instead of the dreary, budget theme of the past, the Yaris’s cabin is almost a scaled-down version of the Mazda3’s with a quality not typical of this segment. Most of the same Mazda3 design cues are repeated here from the circular vents and large round HVAC knobs to the free-standing seven-inch tablet touch screen with Audi-style rotary controller.
It isn’t quite the “premium subcompact” Toyota’s claiming it to be, but there’s an abundance of softtouch materials about the cabin and the level of noise reduction is rather good for its segment. Even base models come with push-button start, air conditioning, cruise control, USB, a six-speed manual and Bluetooth for a starting price of $16,995. However, they don’t come with heated seats, which could pose a problem with some buyers in our climate. Yaris hatchbacks start at $14,775, but that gives you a barebones model with no Mazda DNA.
For $18,200, you get a Yaris sedan with automatic transmission featuring a sport mode that remaps the throttle and shift points for a more aggressive response. My tester, a Premium Plus ($20,200), comes only with an automatic transmission and adds extra features that include a rear-view camera, seven-inch colour display screen, 16-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats and USB connectivity.
Cloth seating is comfortable, but rear space lacks leg room and is rather confining. Trunk space is a rather meagre 382 litres, which falls far short of its competitors, most of which are cargo-swallowing hatchbacks.
Within minutes of setting out, the Yaris sedan’s roots become obvious. The suspension is more softly sprung than a typical Mazda, but still solid enough to provide a planted yet supple ride. The engine and transmission work well together with nicely executed shifts and a minimum of engine noise. It’s not overly powerful with 106 horsepower, so passing is best done with plenty of forethought. The upside is the Yaris delivers excellent fuel economy. Overall consumption was 6.7 L/100 km and a fair bit of that was inner-city driving.
Overall, it’s a car that does a decent job of treading the fine line between fun and functional. Which leaves the enthusiast wishing for just a little more. As mentioned before, the Yaris hatch continues to be built on the same (boring) European platform. With the promise of a new Mazdaspeed3 hatch arriving next year, we can’t help but wish Toyota would again join forces with Mazda.