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New Toyota Yaris

We drive the sporty SR version of the all-new Yaris to see how it compares to rivals from Ford and VW

New Toyota Yaris

Text: Paul Bond / Photos: Otis Clay

August 2011

First introduced back in 1999, the Toyota Yaris has been a sales success story, with over 300,000 current UK owners. Can this third-generation model steal even more customers away from Britain’s best-selling car, the Ford Fiesta?

Toyota boldly claims that the new car offers higher interior quality, sharper dynamics and more space than ever, but what instantly grabs you is the new exterior design. The anonymous styling of old has vanished, replaced by a pair of angular headlights, a double concave grille, and subtle chrome trim which all reflect the latest family look.

Video: watch CarBuyer's video review of the Toyota Yaris

 
The newcomer has gone up a size too, as it’s 100mm longer than its predecessor. Half of the extra length has been used to extend the wheelbase, freeing up passenger space, while the rest means that the boot is 25 per cent longer than before. It will swallow a decent 286 litres of luggage, just nine litres less than the bigger Fiesta.

The existing engine line-up has been carried over, so there are two petrols to choose from - a 1.0-litre three cylinder with 68bhp and the 1.33-litre unit tested here. Completing the line-up is an 89bhp 1.4-litre diesel, which will also be the most efficient version until a hybrid model arrives next summer, emitting just 104g/km of C02.
 
Of the three, the 1.33-litre petrol is expected to make up around half of all sales, and with 98bhp and 125Nm of torque, there’s enough shove to keep pace with town traffic.

Progress is smooth and hushed at city speeds but, as peak torque arrives at 4,000rpm, the engine note becomes more strained once you reach the motorway. The manual gearbox could be more precise too, and while the optional Multidrive S automatic is smoother, it can get noisy unless you change gears yourself using the steering wheel-mounted paddles.

Toyota’s engineers have focussed on improving the car’s agility, ride and handling balance, and to achieve this plenty of thought has been put into saving weight. So despite going up in size, the new Yaris is 20kg lighter than the outgoing model, with thinner seats, aluminium suspension components, and a stiffer body shell all aiding the slimming process.

European versions also get a bespoke ride and handling setup, with retuned suspension bushes and dampers, and a quicker steering rack to help improve road holding and ride comfort.

Unfortunately the extra attention hasn’t had the desired effect – even on our smooth test route the ride felt firm, bouncing and jarring over imperfections. The electrically-assisted steering is light and easy to use, but provides little feedback, and the chassis gets flustered easily by quick changes in direction.

On the inside, the newly driver-oriented cabin and simple, unfussy dash layout marks a big step forward, with an integrated touchscreen system at the heart of the design. It’s an impressive piece of kit, and features Bluetooth, a reversing camera and picture viewer as standard on all but the base-spec car. For £500, buyers can upgrade it to include a full sat-nav as well.

However the rest of the interior is less impressive. The strangely textured dash plastics are hard-wearing, but look cheap, and fall far below the high standards set by the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo in terms of outright quality.

 

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8 Comments

Hope its better than the last one

I had a Yaris SR for 8 months last year, worst car I've ever had. Bad features too numerous to mention, but here's a few - awful brakes, crunchy gearbox, noisy engine, dreadful ride, not very economical, the famous recall, snotty dealer indifferent to complaints etc etc. I lost a lot of money on it, should've taken a longer test drive! Put me off Toyotas for life, so I hope they've spent a bit more time developing this one. The ultimate white goods car.

By steve647 on 25 August, 2011, 11:49am

I had similar experience of Toyota as steve647

I had a similar experience of owning a Toyota to steve647.
I had a problem with engine knocking and Toyota were reluctant to admit there was any problem.
It took Toyota 2 years, and 2 attempts with modified electonic control units before they finally fixed the problem - then they admitted that a lot of other owners had reported the same problem.
In my opinion, Toyota's legendary reputation for reliability is not based on facts - it is only a legend.

By jamesmclaughlin on 25 August, 2011, 1:42pm

Hasn't Toyota seen the competition?

Very disappointing considering the wealth of supermini talent out there that this new Yaris is up against. I've even heard they've got rid of the sliding rear seats too - a major Yaris innovation. Have Toyota given up trying?! Just look at that interior - how dull and cheap looking can you get? Even the old car's engines have been carried over without significant changes.

I also empathise with jamesmclaughlin and steve647 above - I had a terrible experience with a brand new MX5 cabriolet coupe a few years ago - the car / dealership / manufacturer all being rubbish. You get fed up of people saying how great the reputation of these cars are when you experience the opposite - I've even had jokers accusing me of being a liar when I've mentioned my bad experience with the Mazda on other articles (such as the recent one on the new shape MX5 due next year).

Oh well, since the new Yaris seems so disappointing thus far, I doubt whether I'll be testing the reliability of this model!

By gavsmit on 25 August, 2011, 6:17pm

Dull Dull Dull

Why have they swapped the central instrument binnacle, one of the Yaris' more interesting design features, for this slab of drabness. Already looks dated and like something the Koreans were producing a few years back. Lazy design at it's best !! And as for the exterior........not worth wasting any more time over.

By erly5 on 26 August, 2011, 9:51pm

Oh what a lot of negativity above..

Its interesting how people use these pages as a sounding board for their own car problems - that 'gavsmit' bloke has mentioned his MX5 woes about four or five times on these comments pages'
Anyway, the new Yaris. I think it looks great inside and out - it may not be the boldest supermini around but it has a simple, grown up look and avoids the cutsy, and fussy look of some competitors. It looks like one of the few superminis that guys could get away with driving.

By cousins11 on 30 August, 2011, 3:21pm

Are these comments real!

Why is someone complaining about a Mazda when this is about the new Toyota?
I'm on my second Yaris with MMT. No problems with either although not had this one long. Bought new. First one in Spain so had to go when returning to UK. I think Toyotas get bad reviews for, sometimes, no good reason. Even the magazine reviewers comments are somewhat strange. "Little feedback from the steering" "A flustered chassis". People get flustered, not cars! It's a small hatchback, not an F1. Of course, some of them say these things about other cars as well. Is it just to make column inches? Or to make us think they know about cars? I worked in car maintenace for 28 years, Minor 1000s to Rolls Royce and seen good and bad. Nowadays cars are much better than they used to be overall. Flustered chassis. Get real!

By petegeoff on 2 September, 2011, 11:59am

New Yaris Owner

As a owner of the new yaris SR I've got to say I'm impressed with my Yaris. I've got to say it's a far better improvement quality wise compared to the mark 1, ok it's lost a few features that made the car iconic but times change and the car is a lot classier than compared to my Fabia mark 2 which I had before, if I'm honest and in the words of my wife the yaris has a better interior than the Fabia! and I totally agree with her! I have the 1.33 and it might be a small engine but it's almost as much fun as my old Fabia vRS which I owned before my Mark 2 Fabia. I went to the launch night of the new yaris and was impressed with it I would rate it over the current fiesta and coming from a ford fan I have to say the fiesta looks a bit cheap in places! I've read many a bad review on the new Yaris but I can't complain it's by far the best car I have owned in a few years! Ok the fuel economy could be better but apart from that I have no intention of trading her in for the full 3 years, it's my first new car and I'm very impressed!

By twisterboy on 22 February, 2012, 1:36pm

I tested the new Yaris and found that it was very uncomfortable to drive. The seats (on the top spec) were awful, (I had backache after 8 miles) and the car wandered about on the road. I suspect that the seats have been slimmed down to create more space for rear seat passengers, but if you're carrying rear seat passengers other than small kids why would you buy a little hatchback like this?

By Madbadger61 on 27 February, 2012, 5:14pm

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Pictures

New Toyota Yaris rear
New Toyota Yaris front corner
New Toyota Yaris interior driving
New Toyota Yaris boot
New Toyota Yaris interior
New Toyota Yaris touchscreen
New Toyota Yaris detail

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FIRST OPINION

    The Yaris is a comprehensive improvement on the old model, but it may struggle in this highly competitive segment. It’s roomy and well equipped, providing reliable and easy-to-use transport, but can’t match rivals for dynamic ability or interior quality – Korean competitiors offer better value too. The hybrid version will set new standards for class efficiency, but in the meantime it’s tough to recommend.

 

AT A GLANCE

    Price: £13,835
    Engine: 1.33-litre 4cyl petrol
    Power/torque: 98bhp/125Nm
    Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
    0-62/top spd: 11.7 secs/109mph
    Economy/CO2: 52.3mpg/123g/km
    Equipment: 16-inch alloy wheels, air-con, touch screen multimedia player, Bluetooth, rearview parking camera, leather multifunction steering wheel, part leather seats, tinted glass, sports suspension, ESP.
    On sale: Now
     
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