New 1.5 Hybrid Powertrain
Toyota’s new hybrid system features a 1.5-litre three-cylinder Atkinson cycle petrol engine with variable valve-timing. As with its four-cylinder 2.0 and 2.5-litre counterparts, it benefits from detailed measures to reduce internal friction and mechanical losses and optimise combustion performance. In fact, the engine has the world’s fastest combustion speed, supporting high torque at low engine speeds and fuel efficiency. It is also fitted with a balance module, which helps reduce engine noise and vibration.
As a result, it achieves 40 per cent thermal efficiency, higher than comparable diesel engines, helping secure an improvement of more than 20 per cent in Yaris’s fuel economy and CO2 emissions. At the same time, system output has been increased by 15 per cent and power delivery has been refined to give a confident and natural driving feel.
Stylish design and smart packaging
The new Yaris’s exterior design concept is defined as “Condensed and Agile” – always ready to move and be enjoyed.
Its “condensed” dimensions set it apart in a market segment where new cars have typically grown larger with each successive iteration. Counter to this trend, Toyota has reduced Yaris’s overall length by 5mm, but at the same time increased its wheelbase by 50mm, ensuring the car is agile and manoeuvrable in city driving and parking, but has a comfortable and roomy interior – the essence of its “big-small” character.
The exterior styling amplifies the effect of the condensed proportions with strong character lines down the side of the car that project a sense of forward motion. Powerful front and rear wings add to the overall taut, coherent look and, together with the sculpted door panels, express a sense of agility and the car’s “ready-to-go” character.
The interior design follows a “less-is-more” principle, creating an open and spacious area for the driver and front passenger. High-quality materials include an innovative felt trim finish for the door panels and, for the first time in a Yaris, a soft-touch instrument panel to create a warmer cabin ambience.
The cockpit design has been developed around the concept of “hands on the wheel, eyes on the road”. Information is presented clearly and directly to the driver from three interlinked sources: the central Toyota Touch touchscreen, a TFT multi-information display in the instrument binnacle and a 10-inch colour head-up display.
Engineered to deliver driving enjoyment
The combination of new Yaris’s compact, low and wide dimensions, the dynamic qualities of the GA-B platform and the performance of the fourth generation hybrid powertrain creates an engaging and agile character that is a key part of the model’s emotional appeal. Around town it delivers an engaging and crisp response; at the same time, performance and handling deliver the kind of smooth and relaxing drive that’s comfortable and desirable when making longer motorway journeys or cruising on the open road.
As with other TNGA-based models, the driver’s sense of control and connection with the car is enhanced by their position at the wheel. The GA-B platform allows the driver’s seat to be set lower and further back (+60mm compared to the current Yaris) towards the centre of the car, helping bring down the vehicle’s centre of gravity. It also creates a more engaging driving position, with improved ergonomics and greater adjustability.