Toyota Yaris

NEW CAR ROAD TEST
TOYOTA YARIS RANGE
BATTLE OF THE BULGE
By Andy Enright
It's easy to underestimate the searing pace of car development. No sooner does a car enter production than the designers, engineers and money men clap each other on the back, watch the marketing people do a preliminary check on how well the new model is doing, analyse the competitors and start all over again. You might think this is excessive but you'll do it yourself in a way. Think of how many cars were launched as recently as three or four years ago that have been largely eclipsed by rival offerings. When Toyota's original Yaris was launched, it was unquestionably the finest supermini money could buy.

Times have changed, however, and in order to restore dominance, the latest Yaris, priced from £8,810 and first shown at the 2005 Frankfurt Show, has grown-up. First impressions are that Toyota have taken the old Yaris and plugged it into a garage forecourt airline. It's bigger in every dimension and markedly more bulbous. It's also way better in terms of perceived quality. The double-sealed doors feel thicker and weightier and shut with a thunk rather than a clang. The rather unconventional fascia looks removed from the supermini norm, with a 3D effect on the main display. More conservative buyers may find it a bit Buck Rogers but it's certainly distinctive.

Despite its 11cm growth in overall length, the Yaris is still shorter than the latest generation of larger superminis such as the Fiat Grande Punto and the Renault Clio. Part of the reason why these cars are so large is compliance with pedestrian impact legislation which is adding a few centimetres to the nose of many cars. The Yaris gets round this one by arcing the bonnet high over the unyielding mechanicals to provide a deformable surface.
This means that despite being shorter on the outside, the Yaris is competitive in terms of interior space and easy to park at the same time. Fold the EasyFlat rear seats down and you're treated to the largest stowage area of any supermini. This system allows the rear bench to be split 60:40 and both sections to slide independently. Therefore it's possible to transport long, bulky items without impinging on a rear passenger's legroom allowance.

Three petrol engines are available - a 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit, a more conventional 1.3-litre four-cylinder powerplant and the 131bhp 1.8-litre range topper. Diesel buyers are catered for with a 1.4-litre turbodiesel. In case you were wondering, the 1.0-litre unit is all-new but the others have been carried over from the previous generation Yaris. That's no bad thing, as the Yaris always had some of the best engines in its class. For the time being, let's concentrate on that three-pot 1.0-litre lump. Built in Japan, this engine will appeal to buyers who are attracted by the city credentials of the Yaris. With keen fuel economy, low inertia and low emissions, it's a better choice than the diesel for the urban sprawl and crawl. Marry that to Toyota's claim that the Yaris has the tightest turning circle of the whole supermini set and you have a very agile and wieldy city scoot.
In order for the latest Yaris to succeed, Toyota need to clearly communicate that this car has been redesigned from the ground up. Failing that, many potential buyers may pass it off as a facelift of the old model and bypass their Toyota dealer on the way to a competitor. That would be a shame because the Yaris has a lot to offer. The opposition have caught up and it's now no longer a clear class leader, but it's still one of the most sensible purchases a supermini buyer can make.

FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Toyota Yaris range
PRICES: £8,925-£14,095 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 1E-7E
CO2 EMISSIONS: 119-170g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.3] 0-60mph 11.5s / Max Speed 106mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.3] (urban) 39.2mpg / (extra urban) 53.3mpg / (combined) 47.1mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: ABS with brake assist, twin front and side airbags
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: [standard 5dr] Length/Width/Height mm 3750/1695/1530
WHO TO SEE?:
March 4th 2008