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A dependable ride for safety-conscious gadget lovers

It wasn’t that long ago that the refreshed version of the Toyota Yaris made its way to our shores – but an all-new version is already hot on its heels.  

The nameplate of the latest model promises a new rather than an updated form of the Yaris, and from a test point of view, a break with highly technical cars with their many driver-assistance gadgets. The driver is more involved and the experience is less complicated. 

Although the new Yaris is bigger than its predecessor, both in length and width, it remains a compact car. However, the hatch competes in the largest portion of the small-car market, the “B” segment. Here it comes up against rivals like the VW Polo and Ford Fiesta.

While the Yaris caters to a broad customer base, like many other B-segment cars, millennials are a key target group. Crucial selling points therefore need to be en pointe.

While the Yaris may not tick all the boxes, a key selling point for these individuals – aside from affordability –  is connectivity, and the latest model certainly delivers on this.  

Four iterations of the compact city hatchback have been sold in South Africa, and the latest employs an inline 1.5-litre engine across all five models, with two transmission options: five-speed manual and Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) automatic.   

Given the preference for a more engaged driving experience, it was the flagship Yaris 1.5 Sport that captured finweek’s fancy.  

Outer offering

The design of the Yaris has been overhauled. It’s considerably more handsome, now exuding a more forceful stance. The visually forceful posture is even more pronounced in the flagship Sport model, which also boasts front and rear spoilers, side skirts, shark-fin antenna and fog lamps.   

Now more substantial, it’s wider and visually lower with a smooth flowing side profile, lending the car a decidedly sleeker and sportier presence. 

At the front, newly designed headlamps and daytime running lights have been integrated into the grille.

Meanwhile at the rear, black garnish and a lower centre of gravity add to the sense of width. Aerodynamic efficiency – and thereby reduced drag and improved fuel efficiency, not to mention enhanced vehicle stability – comes courtesy of fins in the rear bumper and aero-stabilising fins in the rear light clusters.  

The bigger but still compact all-new Toyota Yaris Sport expresses a more purposeful and sportier stance.  



Interior connection

The cabin is uncluttered and less complicated than before. The soothing and extremely roomy cabin is decked out in moulded plastic and chrome-plated switchgear, while the ergonomic leather seats come with sporty red stitching.  There is a great deal of legroom. 

Nowadays it is common to climb into a car – and be baffled by the many arrays you’re presented with. Not so with the Yaris Sport. Here there is one focal point: the new infotainment touchscreen. 

It includes an in-built navigation system and full smartphone integration and support via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto + protocols. CarPlay uses standardised Apple applications with Siri integration so that WhatsApp and other apps seamlessly appear on the screen. 

Android users customise which apps they would like to “mirror” on the audio screen. 

Our iPhone integration experience worked a treat. Functions put to the test included listening to music from playlists, making and receiving calls and fiddling with other apps on the screen as one would normally do on one’s smartphone.

All this while WhatsApp messages appeared on the car’s display waiting to be read by us or audibly delivered.

Apart from standard AM/FM, USB and Bluetooth functionality, this level of connectivity is bound to get the stamp of approval from the millennial market.


Connectivity offerings like satnav and smartphone integration and support via Apple CarPlay are likely to be pivotal to the purchasing decision of this restyled hatch. 

These style-conscious individuals are also likely to be drawn to the red stitching adorning the leather seats and steering wheel. And while the black stitching on the dashboard looks real, a closer examination reveals it’s actually plastic.

While it’s not the real thing, it is a more practical, hardier solution. Still, it is authentic-looking and the “stitching” does add a touch of panache to the hard plastic dash.

The well-insulated cabin is unexpectedly spacious for a compact hatch. And the theme of space is not limited to the cabin, which can carry five people. Luggage room, now 310 litres, has increased by 8% over the outgoing model. 

The roomy cabin is decked out in moulded plastic and chrome-plated switchgear, while the ergonomic leather seats come with sporty red stitching. Legroom is extensive. 

On-road impressions

In true Toyota fashion, the Yaris Sport is a well-built vehicle. It’s solid on the road, and the sense of safety, stability and solidity filters into the cabin.

I was anticipating a less complicated, more involved driving experience. And with the manual 1.5 Sport, that’s what I got.

Toyota describes the 1.5-litre engine as rev-happy, and it is. Still, the naturally aspirated engine is more happily mated with the manual version than with the CVT automatic version (also tested).

The CVT gearbox comes with the benefit of smoother shifting, supposedly a  faster acceleration reaction and enhanced fuel efficiency. However, on the flip side, the engine seems to pair more effectively with a forced induction mill.

The not-quite-so-happy marriage of a naturally aspirated engine with a CVT transmission generates an irritating high-pitched whine, particularly when momentum is required for overtaking.

It is not a pretty sound. And it generates a sense of the car being underpowered, which, other than the crisis in confidence that uphill overtaking generates, it mostly is not. 

However, the CVT cruises comfortably and smoothly – the engine noise is much suppressed during cruising – and as an eco gauge lets you know, economically. 

Still, how often is one likely to want to floor it in an automatic Yaris, especially if the customer is a more mature one? These individuals are less likely to be perturbed about how quickly they can get from nought to 100km and less likely to wind the engine up.

For them, the CVT version is likely to hold more appeal given that they would probably prefer an effortless urban drive and prudent and comfortable cruising (and with that suppressed engine noise), both of which it delivers on.

But I digress, so back to the manual Sport.

This version of the Yaris is a no-brainer. It’s more responsive and quieter than its automatic counterpart, comes with a fluid-shifting gearbox and boasts a higher top-end speed. 

With that extra responsiveness comes added confidence when overtaking – and although the Sport is no street racer, it barrels along confidently enough thanks to its 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine. 

It cruises smoothly, is composed in the twisty bits and offers a ride that is compliant, comfortable and relatively quiet.

But I have to admit that  I’m not that much of a fan of the electronic steering system, which on occasion gives the impression that human inputs are being overcorrected. 

Also disappointing was the absence of one-touch indicating (where a light flick of the indicator stalk indicates direction- changing intent for a short spell before self-cancelling). 

Still, these minor irritations are no deal breakers, especially when you look at all the safety features provided by Toyota on this nifty hatch. 

The 1.5 Sport offers curtain and side airbags as well as a  driver kneebag in addition to the standard passenger and driver airbags. 

That’s aside from features like Vehicle Stability Control and Hill Assist Control.

All told, I enjoy the Yaris Sport’s honesty, its authenticity and solidity. 

It has a certain charm about it that is enhanced by its handsome lines, connected offerings and the stable it comes from. 

A reputation for solid, well-built, dependable cars is a hallmark of the Toyota brand. 

If, in addition, the requirement includes a compact car with lots of space, good value, safety, connectivity and good looks to boot, then the Yaris 1.5 Sport is a great pick.

With a price tag not far short of arch-rival Polo, it will be interesting to see how millennials, in particular, take to this more contemporary and connected hatch.

This is a shortened version of an article that originally appeared in the 1 March edition of finweek. Buy and download the magazine here.

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