Toyota Yaris Hybrid T3
Can latest hybrid match efficiency of its all-electric rivals?
Low emissions are a big plus point with the Yaris, but pure electric running is limited, the CVT gearbox sends the engine revs sky-high under acceleration and the firm ride means it’s uncomfortable and unrefined. What’s more, the entry-level T3 model we tested here is poorly equipped and expensive.
The ZOE is the first all-electric supermini to be produced, but it’s not the only car in the class that’s capable of silent zero-emissions electric running. The question is, can the petrol-electric Toyota Yaris Hybrid offer a greater breadth of talents?
If you want to shout about your eco-friendly car choice, the rather plain Yaris doesn’t have the style of the ZOE. It’s largely identical to the standard Yaris, although it does get a larger lower grille, teardrop-shaped foglights and a 20mm deeper front bumper.
It’s worth noting that the entry-level T3 model makes do with steel wheels, plus black plastic door handles and mirrors, so style-conscious buyers might want to step up to the £17,545 T Spirit in our pictures. However, the T3 and T4 models have CO2 emissions of just 79g/km, rather than the 85g/km of the T Spirit.
With a maximum of 1.2 miles of silent EV running, the Hybrid isn’t emissions-free for long, although Toyota claims that 60 per cent of an average commute will be electric if the car is left to switch between modes by itself.
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Yet away from stop-start traffic, even a small prod of the throttle will fire the engine into life, while open roads make the CVT gearbox hold the 1.5-litre petrol engine at unpleasantly high revs. As a result, the Yaris feels thrashy and unrefined.
The driving experience is further upset by a firm ride, while the sharp, light steering feels too remote. Plus, the Yaris runs out of grip sooner than you’d expect. Like its EV rivals, it has a grabby, inconsistent brake pedal, too, which makes it hard to slow down smoothly.
So while the hybrid set-up eliminates the range anxiety of a pure electric car, the compromised refinement and disappointing driving experience count against it. Inside, hard plastics and an uninspiring cabin do little to boost its appeal. Build quality is robust and the chunky steering wheel and glossy gearlever lift things a little, but the Yaris feels cheap, while standard kit isn’t a match for that of rivals. The T3 model can’t even be specified with Toyota’s Touch and Go sat-nav and Bluetooth system.
Passenger space is also compromised. Toyota has placed the batteries under the rear seats so that the Hybrid has the same 286-litre boot as the standard car, but a bulge intrudes into the footwell and eats into legroom. Even then, the boot is the smallest on test.
On the plus side, the Toyota’s residual values are stronger than its EV rivals’, and it qualifies for free road tax, but it falls outside the new 75g/km CO2 limit for the London Congestion Charge. More importantly, our on-test economy of 46.8mpg isn’t good enough to justify the compromises compared to conventional petrol and diesel superminis.
