Toyota Yaris Review: In Pictures

The Yaris marks Toyota’s much awaited entry into the midsize sedan segment

Toyota is all set to launch the Yaris in India in the coming weeks. The pre-launch bookings of the sedan are already underway and we expect Toyota to price it between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 14 lakh.

Related: Toyota Yaris Expected Prices In India: Will It Undercut Honda City?

The Yaris’ front looks relatively busy compared to the rest of the car. The wide and stretched headlamps leave limited room for the upper grille. A plus-size black lower grille with the air dam takes up most of the real estate on the bumper. Then there are those vertical fog lamp housings that make the Yaris look distinctly Toyota.

The Yaris’ headlights look quite similar to those of the pre-facelift Corolla Altis’ as far as their design is concerned. These pack halogen projectors instead of LED or Bi-xenon units. LED headlights are gradually becoming a norm in the segment and these are energy efficient as well and hence, we would have liked to see them on the Yaris. It does get LED DRLs, though, and automatic headlamps as well, but these are limited to the top variants only - DRLs (VX) and automatic headlamps (V and VX).

While the front is busy, as far as its design is concerned, the rear is simple and easy on the eyes. In fact, the Yaris' rear appears inspired by some of the German cars as far as the design and layout is concerned.

Unlike its headlamps, the tail lamps do get LED elements and an LED brake lights, giving the Yaris a modern touch.

If you look at the Yaris from the side, it appears to be very understated. Where other sedans like City and the Verna look sporty and aggressive with bold shoulder lines, the Yaris, on the other hand, is simple.

As far as its overall length (4425mm) is concerned, the Yaris is the shortest car in its segment. The Honda City is longer by 15mm, while the Ciaz extends 55mm beyond. However, at 1495mm and 1730mm, it is the tallest and the widest car compared to the City, Ciaz and the Verna.

The Yaris comes with 15-inch alloy wheels, which are a size smaller than its competitors such as the City, Verna and the Ciaz  that ride on 16-inchers. While we don’t expect it to make a big difference to its dynamics, the bigger wheels would have added that extra sportiness to the exterior. 

The Yaris’ cabin is a premium place to be in. The dual-tone finish gives it an upmarket look. It, however, lacks soft plastics on the dashboard and in other areas, but Toyota has smartly incorporated stitch-like design on the dashboard that mimics the lining on leather.

The Yaris’ leather wrapped steering also feels premium and features controls for the audio, Bluetooth telephony and MID screen functions.

The Yaris gets a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with gesture control and navigation. However, as we said in our review, the placement of the touchscreen is such that it is prone to glare under direct sunlight.

The Yaris gets several segment-first features and an 8-way power adjustable driver’s seat is one of them. However, it is limited only to the top-spec VX variant. Manual driver’s seat height adjustment is, however, offered as standard.

To keep the passengers comfortable at the back, the Yaris comes with roof-mounted rear AC vents as standard. Moreover, the rear AC vents get digital blower control and variable ambient lighting. 

 

Along with the regular rear parking camera and rear parking sensors, the Yaris also gets front parking sensors (another segment-first) that should make parking in tight spots easier.

The Yaris will only be offered with a 1.5-litre petrol engine. It makes 107PS of power and 140Nm of torque. The Yaris has a claimed mileage of 17.1kmpl and 17.8kmpl for the manual and the CVT variants, respectively. 

The Yaris is the only car in its class to offer an automatic transmission (a 7-speed CVT) right from the base variant. A 6-speed manual gearbox is also on offer on all variants. 

The top-spec VX variant gets paddle shifters behind the steering wheel with the CVT. 

A flat rear floor means legroom for the middle passenger at the back is adequate. However, the central armrest in the front intrudes too much and eats up usable space. This is despite the fact that it doesn’t have rear AC vents mounted on it. The Yaris also gets two power sockets at the back for added convenience. 

The Yaris gets a 4.2-inch colour MID screen which looks good and displays parking sensor information, Eco savings and other trip information clearly.

The Yaris is surely not the most driver-centric car and has its own shortcomings in the form of space and features offered. However, the sheer sense of premiumness the Yaris exudes, makes it a fair tradeoff.

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