Toyota Yaris Cross 2023 long-term test

Why we’re moving it:  To spot wherefore radical are scrambling for this latest hybrid crossover offering

Month 1 - Specs

Life with a Toyota Yaris Cross: Month 1

Welcoming the Yaris Cross to the fleet - 15 February 2022

If ever determination were a motion of these times, it’s however galore superminis are becoming crossovers. The Ford Puma has supplanted the Fiesta, Volkswagen offers some the T-Cross and Taigo beside the Polo, the Hyundai i20 has grown into the Bayon, the Citroën C3 comes arsenic an Aircross… Need I spell on? Yes, I do, due to the fact that I’ve conscionable taken transportation of a caller Toyota Yaris Cross, a jacked-up mentation of the Yaris.

Toyota sold immoderate 22,000 examples of the Yaris successful this state past year, disconnected the backmost of the brand’s famed reliability and 10-year warranty and the hatchback’s beardown on-road qualities, incredibly frugal, bang-on-trend hybrid powertrain and progressively uncommon worth for money.

All of these things surely person been translated into the Yaris Cross, and this positive the much in-demand bodystyle should marque it leap up soon contempt being unfamiliar to the public. Oh, would you look astatine that: Toyota has conscionable published the figures and it scored 1280 income to its small sibling’s 1926 successful January.

So bully is the Yaris’s hybrid powertrain that it has been carried implicit wholesale here: a people aspirated 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, moving connected the efficiency-boosting Atkinson cycle, is assisted by an electrical centrifugal with a 1.5kWh artillery for a full output of 116bhp. It drives either the beforehand axle oregon some of them done an e-CVT and is the sole motor choice.

I’ve ever disliked continually adaptable transmissions, truthful fingers crossed that the ‘e’ present prevents that ear-splitting revving each clip I interaction the accelerator.

The cardinal statistic are ratio of up to 64.2mpg and arsenic small arsenic 100g/km of CO2, which are some impressive, nary uncertainty helped by the comparatively debased kerb value of 1175kg. If you spell for a front-wheel-drive car, that is, which I have, due to the fact that I unrecorded successful the metropolis and seldom spell off-road.

I’ve besides gone for Design trim, the 2nd of four, which adds LED lights, bigger (18in) wheels and a wider driver’s accusation display, among assorted item changes. I’ve added the £500 Tech Pack, too, successful bid to get a 9.0in infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, alternatively than an 8.0in 1 with neither.

To beryllium honest, I’m already kicking myself for having done that alternatively than adding £2757 to measurement up to Excel trim to get that bigger surface positive parking sensors, electrically retractable doorway mirrors and, astir of all, erstwhile we’re enduring specified a miserable winter, heated beforehand seats and a heated steering wheel.

Don’t marque the aforesaid mistake if the quality is conscionable a fewer quid connected your monthly PCP bill. Right now, our Design would beryllium £391 per period aft a 10% deposit, whereas an Excel would beryllium £419, truthful possibly it would beryllium worthy it for you.

Be wary of the whole-hog GR Sport, by the way, due to the fact that acquisition of the harshly riding Yaris GR Sport suggests it mightiness rather virtually beryllium a hog.

The interior has yet to triumph maine over, due to the fact that my archetypal content was unluckily much Cozy Coupe than cosy coupé, arsenic determination are tons of unappealing grey integrative areas and chunky mouldings around. With that said, I indispensable praise the information that Toyota has kept its air-conditioning dials carnal and importantly improved its touchscreen system, which nary longer looks oregon feels similar it was bought successful from Halfords, being presented smartly and responsive.

Toyota says it targeted a “confident and natural” driving acquisition for Yaris Cross, truthful that I ever person “peace of mind” and “feel connected with and successful afloat power of the car”. I person to accidental that sounds beauteous bully to maine for what is intended arsenic household transport oregon a commuter, and I’ve surely driven specified cars wherever the presumption “doubt-inducing and odd” would beryllium the due adjectives instead. Successfully making ‘just different car’ is truthful overmuch harder than radical imagine. You request lone look astatine immoderate of China’s caller efforts for grounds of that.

Certainly I’ve heard a batch of precise bully things astir the latest Yaris and Corolla, and it volition beryllium absorbing to spot however Toyota’s engineers person further refined the hybrid powertrain and TNGA level since, say, the somewhat larger C-HR crossover I drove aft it emerged six years ago.

More important, though, is to measurement it up against the Nissan Juke, Renault Captur and Honda HR-V hybrids. Which is astir practical, particularly if you person kids to determination astir oregon request to get loads successful the boot? Which is easiest to unrecorded with? And does the Yaris Cross unrecorded up to those system claims, truthful particularly eye-catching successful the existent climate?

These are the things that I volition keenly beryllium putting to the trial – and truthful far, things are looking promising.

Second Opinion

When it comes to Yarises, Kris’s Cross won’t marque you privation to jump, leap similar a GR will. But excitement isn’t the goal: this is an on-trend crossover that’s bully worth for wealth and perfectly good to drive. I uncertainty it’s going to thrill, but it volition charm with its practicality and easiness of use

James Attwood

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Toyota Yaris Cross 1.5 Hybrid Design specification

Specs: Price New £26,530 Price arsenic tested £27,645 Options Galactic Blue metallic overgarment £615, Tech Pack £500 

Test Data: Engine Electrically assisted 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, positive 1.5kWh battery Power 116bhp Torque 89lb ft Kerb weight 1300kg Top speed 105mph 0-62mph 11.8sec Fuel economy 62.8mpg (WLTP) CO2 115g/km Faults None Expenses None

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