MK4 Yaris Hybrid Review

[Lauren 2259]

2020 Toyota Yaris Hybrid Design review

 

The new Mark 4 Yaris is out and as I have a Gazoo Racing Yaris on pre-order. RRG Macclesfield kindly asked me to try out the new Yaris. I should start by saying that this Yaris shares comparatively little with the GR Yaris I have on order. A quick think about this tells me that it shares the lights, the infotainment, some of the climate controls and maybe the rear seat cushions! That’s not a lot to share between models, but nevertheless there will be some commonality somewhere. 

 

The new Yaris Hybrid has the 1.5 litre petrol engine with an electric motor that essentially assists it. It also has the possibility to drive in full EV mode, though it would seem the battery needs to have more charge than it had when I drove it. 

 

Starting the new car means no engine starting as such and it will pull away on full electric. There is an ECO mode, normal mode and PWR mode. Also what I noticed is that whilst you can put it in ‘D’ for drive there is also a ‘B’ for brake I’m guessing and this allows you to gain more regeneration or powering of the battery and effectively means you use the brake pedal a lot less. As the electric motor does it for you. In practice it takes some acclimatising but after a short time works quite well. 

 

Pulling away is crisp and I admit I preferred the ‘PWR’ mode as the car is very keen off the line till 30mph and feels quicker than it’s 116bhp suggests and 9.7 seconds to 62mph suggests. It’s the torque of the electric motor that surprises and whilst you would not call it a fast car, it outperformed my expectations. 

 

More striking though is the difference in chassis between this and the earlier MK3 Yaris. You sit lower with the hip point being around 3cm less, the steering wheel adjusts for reach as well as rake and this helps for a better driving position. The steering wheel is nicely sized too. Toyota say that they have made this shell stiffer than the previous one and whilst it has the regular McPherson struts up front and a torsion beam on the rear, the car corners far better and with less roll than the previous generation. This is also helped by a longer wheelbase, less over hangings and of course a lower roll centre which is the key here. The steering doesn’t seem to have any feel, which is a pity as the car will corner reasonably flatly and with good agility which makes it more fun to drive. 

 

The radar cruise control is much the same as found in the latest Corolla and is a fabulous edition when driving on the motorway or even in heavy traffic as you can set the distance to one bar, with the trick being to set it around the speed limit. The car will then automatically vary the speed and will bring the car to a complete stop without having to touch the brake. It will then set off again when traffic moves, which makes for an easy journey in heavy traffic. It also has the lane tracing system, though does not seem to auto steer, though does have ‘emergency steer assist’. It will warn you with a beep or a vibrating steering wheel should you wander out of your lane. This can be both a blessing and an annoyance, so will take some getting used to. It can be turned off though. 

 

The overall refinement is good and the car is spacious in the front, though a little cramped in the rear. This car comes with Apple Car Play/Android Auto, at last! The infotainment screen is a good size and clear. I found the Toyota controls a little clunky, but once in Car Play things significantly improve and this is what you’d use day to day. 

 

The car I drove is a ‘Design’ which is the second of four models in the specification hierarchy. These are the Icon, Design, Dynamic and Excel. Overall it felt well enough put together, though the cloth trim on the seats was indicative of a lower spec model. The same was true of the sound system as this car has four speakers. Audio quality is good enough, but it does distort if you turn it up loud.  On the Dynamic you get an extra two speakers with the JBL setup for the Excel model having eight. I would expect this to be a significant improvement over what is fitted to the Dynamic and Icon models. The standard specification list for this model does include auto wipers and headlights and radar cruise control, so the specification is still good, I felt. The Yaris in other markets has a head up display, which was mooted as a safety feature, it seems a shame that it is not to be found on the any UK Yaris specification. 

 

In comparison to the yet to be released GR Yaris, it would seem that the GR follows the Dynamic specification with the addition of Alcantara/leather sports seats and a simpler dash board with an analogue tachometer and speedo which necessitates a 4.2” TFT display. 

 

Verdict:

A real improvement over the previous car, in respect of cabin feel, layout and an improved lower driving position. The chassis is perhaps the most obvious highlight, which is great news, though the numb steering sadly detracts from an otherwise more involving drive. The hybrid system works seamlessly and gives the car a torquey feel making it a great car for town driving. Overall refinement is also improved and the radar cruise is a welcome addition. The integration of Apple Car Play is very welcome indeed and this is brilliant once you get used to it. 

 

• - Much improved chassis and driving position. Hybrid system is even better and good economy too. 
• - Missing options for UK cars such as head up display, numb over light steering. A little cramped in the rear.