Car grows into family of three

A compact SUV is the latest take on the Toyota Yaris to hit the New Zealand market.

Called the Yaris Cross, it will join the Yaris Hatch and recently unveiled GR Yaris in showrooms, with the hatchback and SUV also available as hybrids.

The Yaris Cross, pictured above, adopts Toyota’s new GA-B platform but is 240mm longer and 90mm taller than its hatchback sibling, which creates more interior space and a luggage capacity of 390 litres.

There are two powertrain options for the standard GX model, while a higher specified Limited version is only available as a hybrid. Toyota has developed a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine delivering output of up to 88kW and 145Nm of torque for the Yaris range.

The hybrid marries the same engine with a new hybrid electric vehicle system, which Toyota says delivers combined fuel consumption of 3.8L/100km and a total output of 85kW.

A range of safety systems in the Yaris Cross include a pre-collision system with autonomous emergency raking, blind-spot monitor, lane tracing assist, emergency steering assist, crosswind assist and automatic high beam. 

Sporty model

Meanwhile, the GR Yaris promises “high-octane fun” and has been developed with the input of experts at Toyota Gazoo Racing and its World Rally Championship partner, Tommi Makinen Racing.

The hot hatch, pictured below, boasts a new inline three-cylinder, 1.6-litre turbocharged engine producing 200kW and 370Nm of torque that is paired to a six-speed manual transmission.

Toyota claims the car, will be available in limited numbers in New Zealand, clocks 0-100kph in 5.2 seconds. It will offer normal, sport and track drive modes, with the engine connected to a permanent all-wheel drive system.

Design changes from the standard Yaris see the loss of the rear doors and the car’s height is lower by 55m. Inside there is a GR-branded heated leather steering wheel, aluminium pedals and a 4.2-inch multi-information display.

A standard safety package in the car includes emergency steering assist, which provides additional steering torque to improve vehicle stability.

Neeraj Lala, chief executive officer of Toyota New Zealand, says: “The Yaris nameplate has always been a strong model for Toyota and will continue to strengthen our range.

“The Yaris brand will elevate excitement with the addition of the three strong models that will appeal to varying customer needs while being fun to drive.”