Toyota Yaris

The arrival of the Yaris marks Toyota’s long-overdue entry into the upper-mid-sized sedan segment. Big on safety, the Toyota Yaris distinguishes itself in the crowded segment by being the only model to offer seven airbags as standard across its range. The Yaris is also the only mid-sized sedan to not offer the option of a diesel powertrain. On offer are petrol-manual and petrol-CVT variants.

The arrival of the Yaris marks Toyota’s long-overdue entry into the upper-mid-sized sedan segment. Big on safety, the...

The arrival of the Yaris marks Toyota’s long-overdue entry into the upper-mid-sized sedan segment. Big on safety, the Toyota Yaris distinguishes itself in the crowded segment by being the only model to offer seven airbags as standard across its range. The Yaris is also the only mid-sized sedan to not offer the option of a diesel powertrain. On offer are petrol-manual and petrol-CVT variants.

While Toyota’s push for safety on the Yaris is commendable, the car comes across as quite underwhelming in many of the other areas that matter. The design is rather plain, the interior doesn’t feel premium enough and cabin space, although decent, is down against most rivals. Also, while there are some unique features, on the whole, the Yaris is not as well-equipped as its price would have you expect.
The Yaris’ 107hp, 1.5-litre petrol engine is at its best at lower revs in relaxed city driving. Sadly, the flat mid-range necessitates a downshift every time you want to make a quick overtake. You get light shifts on the 6-speed manual gearbox and the CVT gearbox is also nice so long as you drive in an unhurried manner. Ride comfort is impressive even though the steering could have been lighter in town.

While Toyota’s push for safety on the Yaris is commendable, the car comes across as quite underwhelming in many of th...

While Toyota’s push for safety on the Yaris is commendable, the car comes across as quite underwhelming in many of the other areas that matter. The design is rather plain, the interior doesn’t feel premium enough and cabin space, although decent, is down against most rivals. Also, while there are some unique features, on the whole, the Yaris is not as well-equipped as its price would have you expect.
The Yaris’ 107hp, 1.5-litre petrol engine is at its best at lower revs in relaxed city driving. Sadly, the flat mid-range necessitates a downshift every time you want to make a quick overtake. You get light shifts on the 6-speed manual gearbox and the CVT gearbox is also nice so long as you drive in an unhurried manner. Ride comfort is impressive even though the steering could have been lighter in town.

The Toyota Yaris is available in four trims across both petrol-manual and petrol-CVT versions – and all versions score well on safety. However, the Yaris is pricey to begin with and you’d need to consider the mid-spec versions for adequate comfort features. We’d pick the second-from-top V variant that gets enough of the good stuff; and if not restricted by budget, you should opt for the CVT model.

The Toyota Yaris is available in four trims across both petrol-manual and petrol-CVT versions – and all versions scor...

The Toyota Yaris is available in four trims across both petrol-manual and petrol-CVT versions – and all versions score well on safety. However, the Yaris is pricey to begin with and you’d need to consider the mid-spec versions for adequate comfort features. We’d pick the second-from-top V variant that gets enough of the good stuff; and if not restricted by budget, you should opt for the CVT model.