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Sporty new Yaris revealed

Toyota's big-selling Yaris supermini is back with a sportier look, revised engines and a hybrid model too

New Toyota Yaris front

By Paul Bond

16th June 2011

The hugely successful Yaris is back - and sportier than ever. Now into its third incarnation, the aggressive  styling is part of a drive to add sex-appeal to the brand, with angular headlights, a deeply sculpted front grille and bumper and more pronounced wheel arches at each corner.  

At the back there’s a chrome strip running along the boot, and even a small roof spoiler to complete the racy effect, as do the dark 8-spoke alloy wheels.

There will be three engines available from launch, two petrols, a 1.0 and 1.33-litre respectively, and a 1.4-litre D-4D diesel. However a flagship petrol-electric hybrid model is set to join the range next year – becoming one of the first small cars to adopt battery technology.
 
Toyota is promising that the hybrid - which will come with a different front end to the standard car – will deliver “truly remarkable” economy and class-leading C02 emissions, and thanks to strong residuals it could account for up to 15 percent of sales.

Inside, the chunky multi-function steering and a slick new Touch & Go media system – first debuted on the Verso-S – will feature for the first time too. It combines a 6.1-inch touch screen, Bluetooth connectivity and an optional sat-nav system, and can be updated with new ‘apps’ durning the life of the car.  

The company claims that 95 percent of all cars sold will come equipped with the luxury kit as standard. The new Yaris will hit UK showrooms on the 3 September, but prices have yet to be announced.

For an alternative review of the latest Toyota Yaris visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk

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13 Comments

Disappointing

Looks aren't great - your pics don't show the awkward back end - and the interior looks cheap and boring. The engines are the same as have been kicking around for ages too. The hybrid sounds interesting and looks better than the standard model but let's face facts- it'll probably cost 18 grand and the claimed MPG figures will be nowhere near what it'll return in realistic driving conditions.
I'll be waiting for the new Kia Rio instead.

By gavsmit on 16 June, 2011, 9:38pm

Nice, but...

I hope they bring offer the sports version that they do in Japan for people like me who want a replacement for the 1.5 t sport/ 1.8 SR models.

By cousins11 on 16 June, 2011, 9:59pm

Same Ol' same ol'

Is it me or does this and virtually all the 'new' models from the big manufacturers all look remarkably similar. This Yaris looks like the lovechild of Vauxhall's Corsa and Hyundai's I20 both of which are utalitarian at best. Am I asking too much for someone break the mould and give us something innovative and ground-breaking to get at least a little excited over....

By jangles101 on 17 June, 2011, 11:14am

Nice, but...(2)

If the end result looks like this (i.e. with the wheels, interior, spoiler etc) then this will be an improvement on the current model I suspect (though not as fun as the superb original).

However, as cousins11 says, oh for a T Sport version! Why do Toyota refuse to to make a sporty Yaris? The old TS was superb fun to drive, the 1.8SR less so but even that has gone now and we are left with the very dull 1.0P, 1.33P and 1.4D - a missed opportunity for Toyota.

Maybe they will see sense this time but I have a nasty feeling about this. Our trusty 1.8SR will maybe be our last Toyota which is very sad as the reliability and dealer service has been exemplary.

By rhion on 17 June, 2011, 12:57pm

Has the Yaris lost its USP?

I bought a Yaris in 1999, with the 1.0litre VVT 16 valve engine, which was a lovely car, with the central digital speedo which was unusual at the time and worked. Now, all that's gone, it looks like the new Picanto, or the Rio or an Avensis that's shrunk in the wash. Now they're promising a hybrid to attract more customers.....well they were doing that in 2002, so I'll not hold my breath. The original Yaris won COTY in 1999 because it was way ahead of its competitors. Now it seems Toyota are content to follow.

By n50pap on 18 June, 2011, 10:05am

Sharper looking, but.....

.....the interior is a backward step and looks like it belongs in a budget car, and is not acceptable for such an important new model from one of the biggest manufacturers on the planet.

By erly5 on 19 June, 2011, 10:31pm

Smashing

I passed my driving test in a diesel version of the current model, and I really loved that car.

The new one looks every inch the perfect city car! And I'm extremely impressed about the diesel in this one returning 73mpg! I would love to get one.

By JPW2010 on 20 June, 2011, 10:01pm

Backward step

Personally I think the current one looks better than this. Toyota have completely lost it in the design field these days. All the new models look awkward and overstyled without being in any way original. There isn't a single current model you would buy on looks alone.

By pajbse on 21 June, 2011, 10:50am

Sporty?

What's "sporty" about this version of the most bring of cars?

By Roger1709 on 21 June, 2011, 2:40pm

JB

Whats Sporty ???? Its that chrome strip running along the boot !! What more could you ask for Roger ?

Well maybe a sporty engine would help eh ??

By bjbchelsea on 21 June, 2011, 3:17pm

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By kdfja on 22 June, 2011, 1:04pm

Hmm

It will attract a few less pensioners i suppose..

By JagMan92 on 22 June, 2011, 6:24pm

Just No...

Toyota are having a laugh. Either that or they've lost their minds.

I went to a Toyota dealer just a few months ago, not for anything in particular just "window shopping", and as you'd expect I was leapt on by a salesman. I was looking for something sporty and he told me that Toyota weren't making sporty cars any more, just focusing on (apparently) economic hybrids. He failed to mention that their design team were giving the new models sporting pretensions that they really don't deserve.

To me this new Yaris doesn't look sporty or particularly better than the sour faced model they have now. I'm sure the new one will be just as bland, boring and soulless the current model and will probably be just as poor to drive.

Toyota. If you're going to (try to) upgrade the image of the Yaris at least give it an engine to suit its "sporty" styling.

By AdamR88 on 5 July, 2011, 1:51am

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Pictures

New Toyota Yaris front
New Toyota Yaris front three quarter
New Toyota Yaris interior
New Toyota Yaris profile

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