Tech laden Toyota Yaris makes SA debut
The Toyota Yaris was introduced to South Africa in 2005 and has enjoyed great success in the market. This year marks the introduction of the latest generation of the Yaris, which is now bigger and better.
The all-new Yaris is 165mm longer and 5mm wider than its predecessor, giving it a more comfortable stance on the road while increasing interior and boot space. The exterior design shares a lot with the Toyota Auris. There are two sleek headlights above a very McLaren P1-esque lower grille which also houses two daytime-running LED strips. The rear features some black details along with a few aero fins, all adding to the sporty aura of the new Yaris.
Seven stylish colours are on offer: Diamond Silver Metallic, Attitude Black, Glacier White, Crimson Metallic, Graphite Grey including two new exciting hues – Inferno Metallic and Dark Blue metallic.
The interior of the Yaris attempts to enter premium territory, where metal accents complement the ergonomically designed dashboard. A piano-black trim and additional chrome bits complete the look, finished off with an interior LED ambient lighting system. The new sat-nav system features Bluetooth, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The new Toyota Yaris is available with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 79kW of power and 140Nm.of torque. This is the only engine available for the entire range. Buyers can choose to pair the engine to either a 5-speed manual or a CVT gearbox. The CVT ‘box benefits from ‘shift control’ technology, which continually adjusts the behaviour of the gearbox according to the current situation.
Top speed is limited to 170km/h on the CVT and 180km/h on the manual, and fuel economy has been listed as 5.9-l/100km and 5.8-l/100km for the manual and CVT respectively.
Pricing
1.5 Xi MT – R 230 800
1.5 Xs MT – R 253 400
1.5 Xs CVT – R 268 500
1.5 Cross – R 268 500
1.5 Sport – R 286 000
All Yaris models come with a 3-year/45 000 km service plan and 3-year/100 000 km warranty.
