Perfect drive in almost flawless new Yaris
TONY CONLON
Thanks to the pandemic, it took me a while to get into the latest fourth generation Toyota Yaris, but boy, was the wait worth it.
While its sporty looks, handling ability and fuel economy bowled me over, I did come across one dislike that bothered me greatly on a dark December evening drive from Drogheda to Trim. But first the good news.
Available in five trim levels - Aura, Luna, Platinum, Style and Premier, and with 1.0 litre petrol and 1.5 litre petrol/hybrid power - I was given the hybrid Luna Sport to test-drive. Prices start at €19,110 and rise to €26,475; my test car carries a price tag of €24,865.
From a design perspective to its safety aspects, performance, economy and driveability, it’s no wonder this car won the 2021 European Car of the Year title, 21 years after the original won the same award.
I love this car’s sporty appearance and its shorter-looking, lower and wider stance. It's wonderfully wide wheel arches suggest it’s rally ready. The new, large front upper and lower grille design looks much better than the previous model’s x-shaped styling and makes it very pleasing to the eye.
The Luna sat on 16” alloy wheels but Toyota also offers 15” and 17” wheels, depending on the particular model.
Inside is more spacious because of its longer wheelbase and greater width. I instantly liked the Yaris’s lower seating position, its controls and overall driving position. Everything was within easy reach and the clarity of the information from the twin binnacles behind the multi-control steering wheel in addition to the centrally-mounted 8” touch-screen would put many of its competitors to shame.
I was pleased to find some button controls rather than having the touch-screen doing all the work and while there is a fair amount of hard plastic cladding to be found around the interior, the quality build and finish is actually very good.
There are 286 litres of boot capacity on offer, which would not be the largest out there at this time. But Toyota did not skimp when it comes to important stuff like safety equipment or standard features.
The Toyota Safety Sense package is standard on all versions, once again showing that the Japanese manufacturer is more generous than most when it comes to standard equipment.
Gadgetry like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, automatic city braking, centre airbag in the event of side impact and road sign assist all help to give a driver greater peace of mind. Standard reversing camera, binocular TFT, digital speedometer, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, EV indicator and eCall are also standard features on the Luna version.
Powered by a 1.5 litre petrol engine, an electric motor and a lighter battery boasting 19% greater capacity, the Yaris drive proved quiet and smooth.
The 114bhp produced makes this car capable of sprinting from 0-100km/h in 9.7 seconds and having a claimed top speed of 175km/h. But no-one is going to buy a hybrid for speed.
What I loved about this car was the fact it does what it says on the tin. Think green, select Eco mode and control the greatly improved CVT transmission without a forceful right foot and the Yaris will easily return 4.4 l/100km (63mpg).
I was thrilled with this car’s fuel economy. Toyota reckons this Yaris can operate in electric mode for around 80% of a typical urban journey.
There was also plenty of satisfaction with the car’s roadholding and comfort levels. Because the driver sits lower, you get a greater connection with the road below. This benefits confidence and road feedback.
Now to the bit I didn’t like. If this Luna Yaris was human, it would need to go to an optician as its halogen lights are not the greatest.
Over forty years ago, I put advanced lighting on my old Riley Elf and this car requires similar treatment. I even stopped and checked if the headlamps were dirty on my nocturnal drive.
Buyers have to rise to the Platinum version to get LED headlamps. Since people seldom purchas
e a new car in the dark, they should always ask what lighting the car comes with. If you are only a daylight driver, don’t worry, but if you have to drive on country roads after dark, ask if the car has LED or Matrix LED lighting technology.