2018 Toyota Yaris Test Drive Review

2018 Toyota Yaris Review

Car Tested: 2018 Toyota Yaris; Road Test No. 931

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 10.14 – 16.52 lakhs

Toyota’s new Yaris is a nice comfy, easy-to-drive and feature-loaded sedan

Toyota has been minting money with the Innova and Fortuner in India, but, there is 1 segment which has never had a proper offering from the Japanese automaker. Yes, I’m talking about the C-segment where Toyota has had a huge void due to the gap between the Etios and Corolla. However, things are now changing because Toyota will launch the Yaris next month and it’ll directly compete with the Honda City, Maruti Ciaz and Hyundai Verna.

Motor Quest: The Toyota Yaris made its first debut in 1999 and it is a global car. Currently, it is in its third generation and the model that will be launched in India is sold in Thailand with the Yaris ATIV badging. In other countries, the Yaris is available in a hatchback version too.

Exteriors – The Toyota Yaris is a funky and an offbeat-looking car. The design has the Japanese flavour, especially the front end. At the front, you get a plus sized grille which houses the LED DRLs. The sweptback headlights get projector units while the fog lamps, though, are basically round shaped, the vertically-stacked black plastic housing around it gives the front end a distinctive appeal. At the sides, the design is rather plain. However, there is a prominent crease line that runs all the way from the front fender to the rear door of the car. The sedan runs on 15-inch 12-spoke alloy wheels (on the top spec V and VX trims) which make the car look under-tyred. That said, the Japanese automaker could have made the alloys look sportier and jazzier. The sweptback treatment continues on the tail-lights as well and the slightly high-set bumper with the fog lamps makes the rear look smart.

Interiors – The Yaris gets a dual tone black and beige colour theme which makes the cabin look airy and pleasant. The steering wheel is similar to the one on the Corolla Altis. The dashboard also has silver inlays on the centre console. The touchscreen infotainment system gets a 7-inch screen which doesn’t really have the best viewing angles especially in sunlight. You need to increase the brightness to maximum to see clearly. The touchscreen is fairly responsive but not very fluid in usage. Sound quality is just about decent from the stock speakers. The unit also gets Gesture Control to adjust volume and change tracks. Apart from that, you get the usual connectivity options like Bluetooth, USB, Aux and MirrorLink.

The Yaris gets some first-in-segment features like front parking sensors

The sedan has a very long equipment list which includes features like roof-mounted air vents with ambient lighting, powered driver’s seat (only on the VX grade), automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, automatic climate control, cruise control, rear sunshade, keyless entry, leather upholstery (only on the VX grade), reverse parking camera with front and rear parking sensors and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System.

The front seats are absolutely amazing when it comes to comfort and support and I found the cushioning to be excellent. It isn’t very soft too. There is ample amount of headroom at the front and you also get a centre armrest but unfortunately it cannot be extended. The front door pockets can hold 500 ml bottles while the cooled glovebox has a good size. At the rear, again the seats are very comfortable but knee room is satisfactory while headroom is a bit limited, especially for tall people. The boot capacity is 476-litres which is lower than some rivals and even the Etios which has a capacity of 595-litres.

Performance – Toyota is offering the Yaris with only 1 engine which is a 1.5-litre unit producing 107 PS of power and 140 Nm of torque. The numbers might sound decent on paper but performance is something else only. The engine feels very strained at speeds above the ton and doesn’t have a lively or peppy feel at all. Low-end is good while the mid-range is just about average. The engine isn’t rev happy and also gets very noisy after 3500 RPM. Performance isn’t exciting and this car is meant to be driven sedately.

The 7-step CVT-i gearbox gets a manual mode and paddle-shifters too

The petrol engine is offered with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 7-step CVT-i transmission. The manual gearbox is a bit notchy with its shifts while the clutch is very light. The CVT-i is the same one as the Corolla Altis and the rubberband effect isn’t very bad on this one. It revs all the way to the 6200 RPM when you mash the throttle. Otherwise, cruising RPMs are fairly low and the Yaris does 100 km/hr at a relaxed 2100 RPM. Paddle-shifters are also offered but only on the VX trim. In terms of fuel efficiency, a realistic figure of 10 km/l can be expected from the CVT variants while on empty highways expect it to go up by another 2-3 km/l.

Driving Dynamics – The suspension has been tuned very nicely for our roads and ride quality is splendid. It feels very plush and the Yaris just eats potholes, even the sharp ones, very easily and passengers feel very comfortable. At low and high speeds alike, the ride remains stable and this is definitely one of the USPs of the sedan. Handling is also pretty decent but the steering feels lifeless without any feedback and even on the highways, it doesn’t weigh up as we would like it to. Composure at high speeds is also good and braking performance is excellent with the pedal having a sharp bite.

Safety and After Sales Service – Japanese cars are known for their bullet proof reliability and the Yaris will be no different. The carmaker is offering 7 airbags as standard across the range, yes, you heard that right! Besides, the mid-size sedan also offers all-wheel disc brakes (first-in-segment; only on the V and VX trims), ABS with EBD, Vehicle Stability Control and Hill-Start Assist Control (only in the top-spec VX variant). Toyota’s after-sales service is very good and the company also has a good reach across the country.

Verdict – The Toyota Yaris is actually a pretty decent car for someone who likes long term reliability, resale value, long equipment list and an easy to drive nature. It is very comfortable on our roads and while it may not offer the driving pleasure that you get from certain rival cars, the Yaris excels in many other departments and I feel this is going to be preferred by a lot of people who want something different from the usual offerings in this segment and have been waiting for Toyota to enter this space.

What’s Cool

* Interiors are well-built with good fit & finish
* Equipment list is one of the key selling points
* Rides really well with a very good suspension setup
* Easy to drive nature and CVT will be preferred by many

What’s Uncool

* Petrol engine is unexciting
* No diesel engine on offer
* Many people won’t like the fact that it looks smaller than its rivals

Alternatives: Honda City, Maruti Ciaz, Hyundai Verna, Volkswagen Vento, Skoda Rapid, Fiat Linea

2018 Toyota Yaris Specifications

* Engine: 1496cc, 4-Cyl, Naturally Aspirated
* Power: 107 PS @ 6000 RPM
* Torque: 140 Nm @ 4200 RPM
* Transmission: 6-Speed MT/7-Step CVT-i
* Fuel Consumption: 10-13 km/l
* Fuel Type: Petrol
* Suspension: MacPherson Strut with Stabiliser (Front), Torsion Beam with Stabiliser (Rear)
* Tyres: 185/60/15
* Brakes: Discs (Front & Rear), ABS
* Safety: 7 Airbags, ABS with EBD, Brake Assist, Hill Start Assist Control, Vehicle Stability Control, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System

2018 Toyota Yaris Dimensions

* Overall length x width x height: 4425 mm X 1730 mm X 1495 mm
* Wheelbase: 2550 mm
* Ground Clearance: 133 mm
* Kerb Weight: 1090-1135 kgs
* Boot Space: 476-litres
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 42-litres

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