Toyota presented the new Yaris to the Finnish media in the Netherlands. The redesigned model has a new engine and more comprehensive safety equipment, among other things.

In addition to the hybrid model, versions with a one-litre engine and a 1.5-litre engine were also tested. the 1.5-litre engine is brand new and replaces the current 1.33-litre engine.

The new Yaris can be recognised from the front by the new bumper and new lights. From the rear, the car is recognisable by new tail lights, among other things.

The Yaris is a B-segment car registered for five people. In the driver’s seat, there are enough adjustments for a driver over 180 cm tall, but there is not much legroom for the rear seat passenger.

The car’s controls are easy to reach, with the only oddity perhaps being that the lane departure warning and collision warning switches are rather hidden at the bottom of the dashboard.

Different models have different gearboxes. The hybrid model has a CVT automatic and the other two versions have manual gearboxes. The one-litre engine comes with a five-speed box and the 1.5-litre with a six-speed.

The manual gearboxes work accurately and without any major problems. The CVT box has a traditional “rubber band” feel, meaning that the revs rise a lot before anything happens.

Toyota says it has reduced the amount of noise in the cabin, but you can still experience the ‘sporty’ ride through the engine noise in all the models tested. In addition, the road noise was clearly audible, even though the roads in the Netherlands are in better condition than in Finland.

The hybrid model was by far the quietest. Perhaps one reason was the tyres, as the hybrid had special eco tyres.

According to Toyota, €90 million was spent on improvements to the Yaris, which has resulted in 900 new parts.

The only hybrid in its class

Hybrid technology has long been one of the Yaris’ trump cards, and in Europe around 40% of total sales are hybrid versions.

the 1.5-litre hybrid has a combined power output of 100 hp with the electric motor. The hybrid won’t go very far on electric power alone, but in urban driving it can ‘creep along quietly’. With a little more throttle, the internal combustion engine kicks in.

I test drove about 40 kilometres without saving anything, but still 66% of the time was spent on electric power alone. In terms of distance travelled, 36% was electric.

The hybrid version has been part of the Yaris range since 2012. Toyota forecasts that the most popular trim level will be Active, priced at €20 393.

The most affordable hybrid in the range will cost €19 907.

The revised Yaris Hybrid has a combined fuel consumption of 3.3 l/100 km and corresponding CO2 emissions of 75 g/km.

The smallest engine in the Yaris is a 1-litre three-cylinder petrol engine. The engine has a maximum power output of 69 horsepower, which feels a little modest when driving. When accelerating, you really have to push the throttle and shift up hard.

In Finland, the one-litre version is only sold with the Life trim level, which means it lacks features such as traffic sign recognition and a 7-inch navigation screen and reversing camera. This model also lacks cruise control.

With this engine, the car costs €15 357.

The new 1.5-litre petrol engine has a peak power of 111 hp and a maximum torque of 136 Nm.
With this engine, the car runs much faster than with the litre engine.

If at all possible, it is worth investing just under € 1 300 more in a car with this larger engine. If you want to upgrade to the Active level, you will have to pay another EUR 600.

This engine is available with either a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission.

The Yaris range also offers a 1.4-litre 66 hp diesel engine.

European design

The Yaris has been produced in Valenciennes, France, since 2001. The exterior and interior redesigns have been carried out at Toyota’s design centre in Nice.

For the first time in Europe, the product improvements and redesigns will also be applied as such to the Vitz cisarmodel sold in Japan.

The new instrument panel features a 4.2-inch screen surrounded by two analogue displays.

Active safety features are standard on all Yaris model versions. The equipment includes a collision-avoidance system with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and automatic high beams. From Active onwards, the package is complemented by a traffic sign recognition system.

In the test, the lane departure warning beeped occasionally, but not disturbingly.

You should not rely blindly on the traffic sign recognition system. At least in the Netherlands, some traffic signs were ignored. The navigator had a map-based speed limit display and the two speed limit messages did not always match.

The Toyota Yaris will be available in Finland in early May. It will be available in Life, Active, Style and Premium trim levels. Initially, the Launch Edition trim level will also be available for both the 1.5-litre version and the hybrid.