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The Yaris has landed: Toyota's baby hatch is here

Monday, 3 August 2020

Toyota's all-new Yaris hatch is here now, kicking off an entire family of Yaris-badged vehicles.
The ZR Hybrid tops the current Yaris range, SUVs and a hot hatch are coming.
The ZR Hybrid tops the current Yaris range, SUVs and a hot hatch are coming.
The Yaris ZR has the option of a black roof. $500 well spent, we think.
The Yaris ZR has the option of a black roof. $500 well spent, we think.

The tiny Yaris was one of the oldest cars in Toyota’s line up and it was very much showing its age. But now there is an all-new one that is bristling with technology and even packing a super-frugal hybrid drivetrain.

Make me an instant expert: what do I need to know?

The entry-level GX sits on 15-inch steel wheels, but does come standard with Toyota’s Safety Sense package of driver assists.
The entry-level GX sits on 15-inch steel wheels, but does come standard with Toyota’s Safety Sense package of driver assists.

Toyota New Zealand is launching the Yaris into the market in two trim levels each with a choice of either petrol or hybrid powertrains.

**READ MORE:

The Yaris packs an open, airy interior, but won’t appeal to haters of iPad-like devices attached to the dash though.
The Yaris packs an open, airy interior, but won’t appeal to haters of iPad-like devices attached to the dash though.

* Toyota's Yaris-based SUV revealed

* Toyota readying more GR models

Yes, the Yaris does come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay standard across the range.
Yes, the Yaris does come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay standard across the range.

* Meet the Toyota Yaris that goes Grrrrr!

* Hybrid Yaris on its way, possibly with an SUV spin-off

Toyota New Zealand expects the hybrid to account for the majority of Yaris sales.
Toyota New Zealand expects the hybrid to account for the majority of Yaris sales.

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The entry-level GX kicks off the range sitting on 15-inch steel wheels and comes standard with remote central locking, electrically-adjustable, auto-folding door mirrors, LED daytime running lights, manual air conditioning, a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and voice recognition, a reversing camera, 8 airbags and active cornering assist.

Impressively for the segment and price point, the GX also comes standard with Toyota’s Safety Sense package that includes automatic high beam assist, adaptive cruise control with road sign assist, lane keep assist and a pre-collision system with autonomous emergency braking, day/night vehicle and pedestrian detection, daytime cyclist detection and intersection turn assistance.

Both petrol and hybrid Yaris drivetrains use a continuously variable transmission.
Both petrol and hybrid Yaris drivetrains use a continuously variable transmission.

The ZR adds 16-inch alloy wheels, embedded satellite navigation, a head-up display, climate air conditioning, sports seats, a leather steering wheel, an upper rear spoiler, soft-touch upper dash trim, paddle shifters (for the petrol model), LED headlights, taillights, parking lights and daytime running lights, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, rear cross-traffic alert and keyless entry and push-button start.

Both the GX and ZR are available with a choice of an 88kW/145Nm 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine or an 85Kw/120Nm hybrid version that uses the same engine in a different state of tune, but with electric assistance. Both drive the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission.

The Yaris ZR comes on 16-inch alloy wheels and adds LED lights front and rear.
The Yaris ZR comes on 16-inch alloy wheels and adds LED lights front and rear.

The petrol GX starts the range at $25,990, while the hybrid version ups that to $27,990. The ZR petrol lands at $29,990, with the ZR hybrid topping the launch range at $32,990. Both versions of the ZR are also available with a two-tone black roof paint option for a further $500.

Toyota expects the hybrid to make up the bulk of Yaris sales in New Zealand, with Toyota New Zealand CEO Neeraj Lala saying he believed “Yaris hybrid will be the core-selling powertrain in the Yaris line up.”

He also delivered a sly dig at Suzuki launching the Swift Hybrid and making the claim that it now had the cheapest new hybrid in the New Zealand market.

“Our goal wasn’t to deliver the cheapest car in the segment, it was to deliver the best car in the segment.”

The Prius hatch is the first member of the new Yaris family, with the Yaris Cross SUV arriving within the next few months, as well as the Yaris GR hot hatch that has already sold out.

”Yaris has moved to a family line up,” said Lala, “Yaris Cross about a month and a half away and GR Yaris is already sold-out. It’s an exciting time to be launching this new car.”

While Toyota New Zealand expects the hatch to sell well (it has 700 available between now and the end of the year), Lala does expect the Yaris Cross SUV to eventually supplant it, in keeping with the rise in popularity of compact crossovers.

“I believe within the next 12 to 18 months the Yaris Cross will be the dominant small car for us,” he said.

Where did you drive it?

Well, we didn’t. Not yet, at least.

The whole Covid-19 situation has thrown actual car launches into disarray, and Toyota planned for a ‘virtual launch’ back when things were less certain around our lockdown situation.

We will, however, get our clammy hands on a number of Yaris variants very soon.

What’s the pick of the range?

On paper, it would certainly seem to be the ZR that stands out. The GX has a bit of a stripped-out vibe thanks to its sparse list of standard equipment, making it more of a fleet/rental special than a compelling option for a private buyer, although its inclusion of Toyota’s Safety Sense package still puts it above the entry-level competition.

The ZR on the other hands jams a lot of technology and equipment into a compact car, even for its price premium over the GX.

However, in both cases, experience with the latest Corolla and RAV4 hybrid versions would strongly suggest that hybrid will be the way to go with the Yaris as well – both Corolla and RAV4 hybrids have proven themselves able to effortlessly match or undercut Toyota’s economy claims, meaning the Yaris hybrid is likely to be rather frugal indeed.

Why would I buy it?

The level of standard equipment in the ZR is impressive, while the claimed fuel consumption will have massive appeal, even in the petrol-only variants. Of course, the Toyota badge is a big selling point for a lot of people and the company finally having a modern up-to-date competitor in the compact segment is compelling.

Why wouldn’t I buy it?

You find the looks challenging, but that doesn’t seem to have been much of a problem for Toyota’s other ‘challenging’ lookers that still keep racking up sales. Or maybe you do want the cheapest car in the segment.