In the world of Toyota, things can and will always be improved. This principle – kaizen – is exemplified in the innovations and enhancements introduced in the new Yaris. The latest generation of Toyota’s hybrid electric hatchback has enjoyed great success since its launch in 2020; now it’s set to be even better. The key updates include an additional, more powerful new hybrid electric powertrain; significant new and enhanced safety and driver assistance features; and all-new driver’s instrumentation and multimedia system that exploit the potential of digital technology. The new range builds on Toyota Yaris’ previous achievements, strengthening its appeal in key areas and embracing new technologies to make it an even more compelling proposition. Performance, safety and styling have all been scrutinised to ensure the model remains a leading player in the highly competitive B-segment in Europe. These are introduced without diminishing the qualities that have made Yaris enduring popular: a car with lasting quality that’s easy to live with, fun to drive and exceptionally efficient. Built in Europe for European customers, the new Yaris reinforces the model’s award-winning reputation for innovation and excellence in small car design and engineering.
Toyota T-Mate embraces all the advanced features that make the new Yaris safer and easier to drive and park, features that have been made more effective than ever with new and enhanced functions. These include the latest generation Toyota Safety Sense driver assistance systems. Acceleration Suppression is a new Toyota Safety Sense feature which will intervene to slow any sudden acceleration of the car when there is a risk of a collision with a vehicle ahead. The new Toyota Yaris is equipped with a new camera and radar which can scan further ahead and wider than before, significantly increasing the scope for accident risk detection. For example, this means the Pre-Collision System (PCS) can now additionally recognise a potential head-on impact and wider range of objects in the car’s path, including pedestrians, cyclists and, for the first time, motorcycles. Proactive Driving Assist (PDA) is also new, designed to help avoid familiar accident hazards when driving at low speeds. It provides smooth deceleration when the driver comes off the throttle to slow down when coming up behind a slower vehicle, or when entering a bend. PDA also provides Steering Assist: when the car is approaching a bend, this will adjust steering force to help the driver make a smooth and stable turn. The new Emergency Driving Stop System (EDSS) can support the driver should they be taken ill or be incapacitated. Active when Lane Trace Assist is engaged, this detects if the driver has made no steering, braking or acceleration inputs for a certain amount of time. Initially the driver will receive audio and visual warnings, and if there is still no response from the driver it will bring the car to a gentle stop, activate the hazard lights and unlock the doors.
Safe Exit Assist (SEA), available as an option, provides visual and audio warnings to help prevent a car door being opened inadvertently into the path of vehicles and cyclists approaching the rear. The Rear Seat Reminder System (RSRS) is another innovation that reminds the driver with warnings and audio alerts if they have left a child or pet on the back seat, helping avoid the risk of “hot car” incidents. New systems have been added to the ACC, designed to make overtaking safer. Overtaking Prevention Support prevents unintentional passing on the wrong side of a vehicle (“undertaking”) and Preliminary Deceleration/Turn Signal-Linked Control helps the driver safely re-join the traffic lane after overtaking, at an appropriate speed and distance from other vehicles. As well as these additional functions, the new Yaris benefits from upgrades to established Toyota Safety Sense features. The Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) has been revised for quicker response and to operate with a more natural and reassuring feel. For example, when another vehicle moves into the Yaris’ traffic lane, deceleration is more gradual. The driver can also select a longer vehicle-to-vehicle gap setting and the system’s curve speed reduction function activates earlier, giving smoother speed control. The Lane Trace Assist’s (LTA) lane-centring function has been recalibrated to work with a more natural feeling and now just a one-touch adjustment of the speed limiter is all that’s needed to match traffic sign information relayed by the Road Sign Assist. The Lane Departure Alert has been revised so that it will recognise when the driver has steered out of a lane when trying to avoid an obstacle (pedestrian or other road users) and temporarily cancel the Lane Departure Warning.
The Yaris line-up has new top-of-the-range model in the form of the Premiere Edition, a version which goes to the maximum in terms of equipment specification and is powered exclusively by the new “Hybrid 130” powertrain. There is also the choice of Platinum Pearl or Silver Metallic bi-tone paintwork for the Premiere Edition, as well as a new Juniper Blue for other model grades. It stands out on the street with a bi-tone paint finish that combines an exclusive new Neptune Blue with contrasting gloss black roof and pillars and newly designed 17-inch black machined alloys. Blue is the highlight colour in the cabin as well, featured in the seat upholstery stitching and deco lines that highlight the instrument and door panels. Elsewhere in the range there is a new five-spoke alloy wheel design – silver for Mid grade and with a machined finish for the Mid+ model. The cabin also has a freshened look with a new seat upholstery pattern.
The new Toyota Yaris offers customers the option of a new, more powerful full hybrid electric powertrain, the “Hybrid 130”. Joining the established “Hybrid 115” powertrain option in the line-up, the new “Hybrid 130” reaps the benefits of fifth generation Toyota hybrid technology to give sharper acceleration, allied to the car’s fundamentally nimble character. The 1.5-litre full hybrid electric system has a great track record since its launch, founded on leading fuel and emissions efficiency and its ability to go further and for longer in all-electric EV mode. These qualities are maintained and re-engineered for increased output. It’s the kind of performance profile that’s increasingly a priority for B-segment customers, particularly those looking to downsize their choice of vehicle. And with a new “dual hybrid” product strategy, Toyota is widening Yaris’ appeal in a critical area: hybrid is the top purchase consideration for most buyers. The key change is the introduction of a new hybrid transaxle with a more powerful electric motor-generator (output up from 59 kW to 62 kW), together with adjustments to the software and hardware in the power control unit (PCU). The result is a 12% uplift in total system output, from 116 DIN hp/85 kW to 130 DIN hp/96 kW. It’s not just about headline power, there is more muscle, too, with maximum torque from the MG2 electric motor increased by 30%, from 141 Nm to 185 Nm, available across the entire rev range.
This translates to faster acceleration, half a second quicker to bring the 0-100 km/h benchmark down to 9.2 seconds. Similarly, there’s more rapid performance at overtaking speeds, with 80-120 km/h accomplished in 7.5 seconds. Fuel economy is further enhanced with features such as the Predictive State of Charge Control for downhill and congestion driving conditions by using a combination of data from the navigation system to ensure the battery charge level maximises EV driving to enhance fuel efficiency depending on route, traffic, and gradient. Toyota’s long-standing experience of hybrid technology ensures that the CO2 emissions remains best-in-class at 87-98 g/km while fuel consumption remains robust at 3.9-4.3 l/100 km (WLTP combined cycle data). The new “Hybrid 130” is available as standard in the new Yaris Premiere Edition and GR Sport models. In some European markets it is also available in the High grade.
The 12.3-inch version (High, Premiere Edition and GR SPORT grades) can be customised to suit the driver’s preference for information content and presentation style. There are 12 display pattern options, with left, centre, and right-side multi-information displays.
Depending on model grade, a 7- or 12.3-inch digital driver’s instrument display is fitted. Both have sharply defined full colour graphics that are easy to read in all lighting conditions. Further customisation is provided with a choice of four display themes – Casual, Smart, Tough and Sporty – and one, two or no dials. The 7-inch display (Mid grade) offers nine patterns, three styles and a choice of three function displays – tachometer, hybrid system indicator and an analogue speedometer. The central multi-information display is dedicated to the most frequently used information, such as advanced safety system status, settings, and driver alerts. The left and right displays cover details such as journey information, fuel consumption, audio, and navigation details. Widgets can also be added to the left and right displays to access more information, using the switches on the steering wheel. Up to three different lay-out combinations can be stored for use on different types of journeys.
The Yaris is one of the most successful models in Toyota’s history with its worldwide sales surpassing the 10 million mark in 2023. This achievement shows this small car has delivered on its original promise of bringing “big-small” thinking to the B-segment as a car that’s compact and purposeful-looking yet delivering a spacious interior. Constant improvement and a deep understanding of changing customer preferences and priorities have kept the Yaris at the top if its game. Its consistently strong appeal and class-leading qualities saw the current, fourth generation model awarded the Car of the Year award in 2021, a second for the Yaris. The jury praised Yaris’ hybrid technology for its smooth driving, low emissions, and accessible price point – illustrating why more than 80% of Yaris buyers choose the hybrid powertrain. The Yaris was also recognised for its design, dynamic performance, and class-leading safety. The first-generation model was an instant success, claiming the Car of the Year titles in both Europe and Japan at the turn of the millennium. Successive models have consistently set benchmarks for performance and technology. This notably includes the third generation Toyota Yaris being the first car in its class to be offered with full hybrid electric power. The Yaris was the model of choice when Toyota returned to the World Rally Championship in 2017 under the brand’s motorsport arm, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, with immediate successes culminating in four Manufacturers’ Championships (three in a row) and five Drivers’ Championships (four in a row). Inspired by the successful Yaris World Rally Car, Toyota introduced the first pure performance GAZOO Racing sports car in 2020, the GR Yaris. The sports car maintained the nameplate’s role as a pathfinder for innovative technologies and received unprecedented acclaim by media and car lovers, becoming an instant modern classic.
