Toyota Yaris - happy cruiser that proves nimble about town

The Toyota Yaris has always proved a popular little car and when Toyota launched their mini SUV version called the Yaris Cross I must admit I had my doubts as to whether it might emulate its sibling on the sales floor, but it did!

My doubts were not based on the quality of the car but I was less sure people would pay more for a mini SUV version of the already good hatchback Yaris. Boy was I wrong. The Yaris Cross has found plenty of buyers in Ireland is in the top five of new car sales.

The car on test this week is a new version called the Yaris Cross GR Sport. This model aims to add a more sporty feel to the car although from a power point of view, it's exactly the same as all models in the range, namely a 1.5 petrol hybrid.

So has it any street cred?

It sits high on its two-tone alloy wheels with black plastic wheel arch trims. It's not an unattractive car but you probably will not give it a second glance in a car park.

What is it like inside?

The cabin is quite functional. The instrument cluster is a combination of digital and analogue and works pretty well. The large centrally mounted touchscreen is perched rather high and looks a little like a design afterthought. It would have been nice to see it more integrated into the dashboard. It works very well and has Android auto and Apple Car Play.

There is plenty of standard kit as you might expect from Toyota and the GR Sport builds on that with a lovely Panoramic glass roof, wireless phone charging, 18-inch alloys. GR badging, and a more sporty 3-spoke steering wheel.

The cabin is compact, up front there is plenty of head and legroom and the driving position is very good. The rear is pretty tight for two adults with knee room being at a premium. It's fine for two over short journeys but maybe less so for a long journey.

Build quality is good but you don’t have to look far to find some hard touch plastics. Overall, the interior of the Yaris Cross is well put together, functional and practical. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

What’s under the bonnet?

All Yaris Cross models are powered by the same 1.5 litre 3-cylinder petrol engine and a 59kW motor powered by a battery which is recharged via regen braking and the petrol engine for emission-free driving. Its the best system to go for right now avoiding the range anxiety and plug-in issues of EVs and PHEVs.

The little 3-cylinder sounds good and it will cruise around town on battery power. I averaged an excellent 5.4 litres per 100km over my test so it's very frugal too. Road tax is €190.00 for a year.

What is it like to drive?

The Yaris Cross GR Sport drives and handles quite well. The slightly elevated body means a better view of the road ahead and easier entrance and exit. It drives well too and proves compact and nimble about town. It cruises happily at motorway speeds with only a little more tyre noise than I expected to intrude on an otherwise quiet cabin.

Verdict

People seem to be willing to pay a premium for the Yaris Cross and so I guess some will like the slightly more individualistic look of the GR Sport even if it is the same car under the skin as the entry-level model but with better specification of course.

The Yaris Cross range starts at €30,640 the GR Sport version tested here costs €38,360.