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By
EWAN KENNEDY
16 April 2007
Toyota Yaris is doing well in the Australian sales race. Partly
because surging fuel prices have pushed buyers in the direction of
smaller cars, but principally due to the fact that it’s a very good
car with many pleasingly practical attributes.
This Toyota may come from a major Japanese maker,
but it has a distinctive European look, with a short nose, tall
body and cut-short tail. Its stylists have done an excellent job
of making it look attractive despite the constraints on the shape
that push it in the sensible direction of practicality. That Yaris
has a Euro look shouldn’t surprise anyone as it was designed on
that continent and is a major seller over there.
Yaris is a larger car than the Echo it replaced
late in 2005. It can seat four adults in comfort with good legroom
and head space. The main drawback in the hatchback variants is
that the boot lets it down. It’s shallow to make room for a
full-size spare tyre and can really only carry a single
medium-sized suitcase with, perhaps, some softer bags squeezed
into spaces around it. The sedan has a better boot.
The Yaris’ rear seat slides forward to increase
luggage space if you don’t need maximum legroom in the back.
That seat also folds down, in a 60/40 arrangement to further
increase the people/luggage permutations.
To do the car full credit, Toyota Australia really
should offer a space saver spare tyre as an option – or even as
original equipment, with the full-size tyre as the option – to
give buyers the extra luggage convenience offered on other
markets. It’s only if you are doing big distances in remote
areas that a large spare wheel is a necessity and Yaris certainly
isn’t aimed at buyers doing that sort of work.
The little Yaris isn’t really all that
comfortable on country roads. It’s fine on smooth motorways and
decently surfaced backroads, but the rough stuff that can be found
in the real outback, not to mention in some suburbs, can trouble
the suspension at times.
Noise and vibration are well damped and on good
roads it offers the sort of refinement you would expect from a car
that’s a full size larger. Around town the Yaris has a solid,
refined feel that bodes well for durability.
Yaris power in Australia comes from twin-cam
four-cylinder petrol engines of 1.3- or 1.5-litre capacity. Both
use variable valve timing to give good torque across a nice spread
of the rev range.
Fuel consumption on our test Yaris, a 1.5-litre
with a five-speed manual gearbox, was pleasingly low and most
owners would use only about seven to eight litres per hundred
kilometres in country driving. Even around town only the leadfoots
will push it much over ten litres per hundred. Expect a Yaris with
the four-speed automatic transmission (a $1500 option) to consume
about five to ten per cent more petrol.
Antilock brakes, using a refined electronic
distribution system, are standard on all Yaris sold in Australia.
It also comes as standard with two airbags, but for only $750 more
you can buy a package consisting of side and curtain airbags, as
well as an extra ‘bag that protects the driver’s knees in a
crash.
Handling is nicely balanced with the little Yaris
holding the road well and responding nicely through the steering
wheel. There's some understeer if you push the car really hard,
but balance remains reasonably neutral at sensible road speeds.
Despite the larger dimensions of the Yaris
compared to the Echo it superseded, the turning circle has been
reduced to 9.4 metres between kerbs so it can be slotted easily
into tight parking spots.
Some drivers may not like the central placement of
the instrument panel in the Yaris. Funnily enough, while we are
happy with the ability to read the instruments to the left of
their normal position, we really dislike the vast array of empty
plastic-filled spaces in front of the driver where the dials
normally live.
This latest Toyota small car has almost crept up
into the small-medium category. It offers an excellent combination
of refinement, comfort and cabin space that will appeal to many
suburban buyers who are getting out of six-cylinder cars due to
high fuel prices.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
Yaris YR 1.3-litre three-door hatch - $15,190
Yaris YRS 1.5-litre three-door hatch - $16,990
Yaris YRS 1.5-litre four-door sedan - $17,890
Yaris YRX 1.5-litre three-door hatch - $19,590
Yaris YR 1.3-litre five-door hatch - $16,390
Yaris YRS 1.5-litre five-door hatch - $18,190
Yaris YRX 1.5-litre four-door sedan - $20,490
Yaris YRX 1.5-litre five-door hatch - $20,790
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Air Conditioning: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: $1500 option on all models
CD Player: Standard in all models
Central Locking: Standard in all models
Cruise Control: Not offered
Driver Airbag: Standard in all models
Passenger Airbag: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags: $750 option in all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Toyota Yaris YR 1.3-litre
three-door hatch)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.299 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 10.5:1
Bore/Stroke: 75.0 x 73.5mm
Maximum Power: 63kW @ 6000rpm
Maximum Torque: 121Nm @ 4200rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Five-speed
Automatic Transmission: Four-speed
Final Drive Ratio: 3.941:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 3750mm
Wheelbase: 2460mm
Width: 1695mm
Height: 1530mm
Turning Circle: 9.4 metres
Kerb Mass: 1025kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 42 litres
Towing Ability: 350kg (700kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Independent, MacPherson struts, lower L-arms,
anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Semi-independent, trailing torsion beam, coil
springs
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Drum
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 12.1 secs
Standing 400 Metres: 18.1 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Fuel Type: Petrol 91RON
Fuel Consumption - Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 6.0 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000km
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Marque Publishing Company
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