Toyota’s top-selling European model, the Toyota Yaris supermini, has been redesigned from the ground up with a new platform and a three-cylinder hybrid powertrain – and it is now on sale from £19,910.
Ahead of the first customer deliveries in September, Toyota has detailed the Ford Fiesta rival's UK specifications. Entry-level Icon trim comes equipped with 16in alloy wheels, a reversing camera, automatic headlights and a 7.0in infotainment screen with smartphone compatibility. Design trim bumps the price up to £20,970 and brings extra equipment, including a larger, 8.0in touchscreen, LED headlights, rear privacy glass and a digital speedometer.
Second-from-top Dynamic trim - with 17in alloys, keyless entry and ignition, dual-zone air conditioning, upgraded sound system and sports front seats - is priced from £21,920, while the Excel package heads up the range at £22,220 and can be specified with an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a panoramic roof and a 10.0in colour head-up display.
To mark the model's arrival in the UK, a special Launch edition, priced from £24,005, is available to order. Finished in a unique black and red two-tone paint scheme, it comes fitted with the same equipment as the range-topping Excel.
As with previous Yaris generations, the new supermini has been designed in Europe with European customers in mind and it will continue to be built in the Valenciennes plant in France. However, for the first time, the Yaris name will now be used globally on small cars tailored for each region, much as Toyota has done with the latest Toyota Corolla.
The design itself is said to be more “condensed and agile” than its predecessor, with the aim of banishing the MPV-like proportions of that car. Enabled by the new GA-B platform, there’s a significant 40mm reduction in roof height without, Toyota claims, a significant loss in head room. It is also 50mm wider, with a 60mm-wider track, while the wheelbase has increased by 50mm to boost passenger space. Despite this, the new car has actually reduced in length by 5mm. It means the Yaris is the only supermini that is less than 4.0m long, aiding in-town manoeuvrability. A claimed best-in-class turning circle fits with this, too.
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How much!
Better to buy used
20 grand for the cheapest version of a small hatchback ? Ridiculous. Buy used.
Peugeot 208 is a much better value
The new Renault Clio starts at £15250 which makes the Yaris an expensive joke, unfortunately.