Toyota Yaris design & styling

Even with the greatly accelerated shift towards full electrification that has defined so much of the automotive conversation over the past few years, the Yaris remains one of only a tiny handful of hybrid superminis currently on sale.

It counts full-hybrid versions of the latest Honda Jazz and Renault Clio as its only direct rivals. And even as all-electric superminis become increasingly popular, it isn’t surprising to see the staunchly pro-hybrid Toyota stick with a blend of petrol and electric power but refine and improve it extensively.

Yaris comes on either 16in or 17in alloys, although there are four different wheel designs – a separate one for each trim level. All but the 16s of the entry-level Icon-trim car have a two-tone machined finish.

Richard Lane

Deputy road test editor

The standard Yaris’s hybrid powertrain is based on a three-cylinder 1.5-litre Atkinson-cycle atmospheric petrol engine that’s related to the 2.0-litre four-cylinder block found in the latest Toyota Corolla and Toyota C-HR hybrid models. It’s hooked up to two electric motor-generators, with a more compact hybrid transaxle transmission plus a CVT-like epicyclic power splitter.

The motor-generators draw and return their power from a 178V lithium ion drive battery. Lower-rung models use a 114bhp unit, which drives the front wheels, while the GR Sport and Premiere use a new and more potent 129bhp version. 

The increase in power has been achieved by fitting the Yaris with a more powerful electric motor producing 83bhp - up from 79bhp - and a revised transaxle.