ROAD TEST TOYOTA YARIS 1.0 VVT-I 5DR LUNA:TOYOTA CAN be proud of the way the Yaris is as much a household name in Ireland these days as Brennan's bread or Batchelors beans. Its name recognition is phenomenal. People who think a Porsche is something you build to the front of a house still know exactly what a Yaris is.
The problem for Toyota is that the association is not with the youthful and sporty, but middle-aged and frugal. The Yaris is a favourite of sensible parents, not trendsetting youths. And that’s just fine in a way, because sensible parents are exactly the sort of people who are still able to secure a bank loan, even if it might not suit the profile Toyota might like to portray for its favoured supermini.
It’s surprising to think the compact Yaris is only entering its third generation. The latest iteration of the car has sharper styling lines than before, but it’s a busy look that doesn’t lend itself to immediate recognition.
Somehow, as much as the name is part of the public lexicon, the Yaris has never attained a profile that’s immediately recognisable or identifiable on the street. It tends to blur into the background. This time it seems like the designers took a definite styling cue from the larger Auris, and it looks smarter than the version it replaces.
Inside, the fit and finish is good, if not quite up to appeal of the Ford Fiesta or the solidity of the VW Polo. There’s a noticeable improvement in terms of interior space, with the Yaris now offering a decent-sized boot.
There’s a choice of two petrol engines, a 1-litre and a 1.3-litre. Our test car was the 1-litre three-cylinder petrol, and it’s a noisy affair that hits the high notes after 3,000rpm in first and second gear, although it settles down as you work your way through the cogs.
It’s not fast, either, with a 0-100km/h time of 15.3 seconds and, with less than 100Nm of torque, it doesn’t pack a punch. This is a supermini with the city in mind. The 1.3-litre petrol is the one for drivers who do any sort of mileage.
The 1-litre isn’t much fun to drive, but its saving grace is frugality, delivering 111g/km and fuel economy approaching 60mpg. There are more frugal eco-variants from rivals that promise lower emissions, but often at a higher purchase price.
Despite cut-throat competition in the supermini segment, the Yaris offers good value, something that will please its loyal followers. It’s up against stiff competition from other big-name brands, but it holds its own in this regard.
Admittedly the specification levels don’t always sync with other cars on the market. But kudos to Toyota for including stability control and traction control as standard, along with an impressive seven airbags.
The new touchscreen media system, on the Luna and Sol versions, is a nice addition, ahead of the game compared with its rivals and lends a touch of modernity and colour to all that plastic inside.
It also turns into a colour screen for the reversing camera, which will impress those who haven’t come across this technology before, although it leaves you to wonder what sort of driver needs such a feature on this size of supermini.
Besides, the visibility on this new Yaris is actually better than the outgoing model, with pillars that don’t inhibit your view at any angle. It also has an impressive turning circle, so no one should struggle in parking this car.
Toyota still yearns to make the Yaris relevant to the iPad generation, but in reality this system isn’t going to wow them in the same way it might do with its more traditional customer base. And younger buyers will not be impressed with the decision to offer alloys and air-conditioning only on the highest specification model.
The price difference between the entry-level version and the Luna specification is a reasonable €600, but the Sol version costs an extra €2,315 over the Luna. At €18,210 for the five-door Sol, you would want to be an avid Yaris fan to splash out the extra cash.
The improved look and low emissions will draw newcomers to the brand, but winning them over is no easy task. This is a crowded market segment and the new Yaris is up against equally powerful household names such as Polo, Fiesta and Clio. Alongside these, it has to see off significantly improved Korean rivals, the most recent of which is an impressive new Rio.
A customer base with a strong loyalty to the Toyota brand will hold it in good stead, as will the strength of its dealer network. It’s a smart-looking car with low emissions in the 1-litre format that offers good value for what it is, even if it doesn’t set the world alight. But the Yaris is not the runaway winner Toyota might have hoped for, and up against the Fiesta, Polo and new Rio, it has a tough fight on its hands.
OUR RATING 6/10
Smart looks; 1-litre is frugal if underwhelming
FACTFILE
ENGINE998cc three-cylinder petrol, putting out 69bhp @ 6,000rpm and 93Nm of torque @ 3,600rpm
PERFORMANCE0-100km/h: 15.3 seconds
ECONOMY4.8 L/100km (58.9mpg)
EMISSIONS111g/km (€104 motor tax)
FEATURESStandard on all: vehicle stability control; traction control; seven airbags; 15in steel wheels (alloys on Sol); 6-speaker radio/CD; ABS with Brake Assist; electric heated door mirrors; 60:40 split folding rear seats; immobiliser and remote central locking. Bluetooth on Luna and Sol versions; air-con and rear electric windows on Sol only
PRICE€15,895 for 5dr Luna; starts at €14,760 for 3dr Terra
RIVALSFord Fiesta 1.25 60ps 5dr – €15,975 (€156 motor tax); Renault Clio 1.2 Eco 75bhp Dynamique 5dr – €14,490 (€156 motor tax); VW Polo 1.2 70bhp Comofortline 5dr – €16,780 (€156 motor tax); New Kia Rio 1.25 EX Petrol 5dr - €16,495 (€104 motor tax)