Bucket Seat: 2018 Toyota Yaris S

The Toyota Yaris has come a long way since it was first introduced in the market, and to this day you still find many of that first generation models on the road, proving Toyota's reliability is not just something people speak of but really is true. Much like most of their cars, the Yaris is built rock solid and for many was the perfect budget hatchback to suit most commuters. Over the years though the Yaris had to evolve to provide some competition to the others in its segment and as a result, the budget hatch soon lost the "budget" tag and now moving slowly to a premium type of vehicle but one things for sure, Toyota are not compromising on the quality of vehicle it's giving its customers and after driving the latest version of the Yaris, it really is a big step up from the one of old. 

DESIGN

The new Yaris brings in Toyota's new design language which will see a change in most of the line up with the newer generation models coming in. The car does look significantly larger than its predecessor, and has a lot of lines to it which make it look more sportier and gives the entire car a nice flow. The new long sweeping head lamps which extend to the side of the car but start from the front where it's met by a split grille winged onto a triangular nose which flows down from the bonnet and has the Toyota emblem displayed. I had the Yaris S model, which the S stands for "Sport" hence it was fitted with a sport kit, with extra front lip, side skirts and rear spoiler. It did make the car look more aggressive than the normal model. The large honeycomb air intake in front has two LED light clusters on either side, just below the headlamps and has two fog lamps. The side profile of the Yaris has changed as well with a larger frame and the design of the windows merge into a blacked out pillar which slants into the rear windscreen. The curvature of the glass molds the shape of the rear lights, like the front is long and sweeps around to the side. Overall, the design is still subjective to me, while I've met many people who like it, for me it still seems a bit odd. 

PERFORMANCE

All Yaris models come with the same 1.5 litre engine, even thought the model I had was the Sport, no performance upgrades were done to the engine. It's an inline 4 cylinder motor which churns out at reasonable 79kW and 140Nm of torque. When it comes to cars like the Yaris which would be used as a daily run around and moved up a segment to a small family mobile, the most important figure you're going to be looking at is the fuel economy and while it has a 1.5 litre engine, oddly the Yaris came in a 5 speed manual gearbox. Now while I don't really have an issue with a 5 speed box, you can tell when the car needs that extra gear and the Yaris definitely does. I'm pretty sure it would help dropping the economy rate which isn't bad but good be better. Other than that, the Yaris engine does perform really well both on the highway and suburban driving. 

COMFORT

The new Yaris is much bigger than the old one and it really is spacious. The leather seats which come standard in the Sport model almost look like racing seats but are super comfy. The textures and trimmings are really of great quality as well. You could get 5 adults in there with a small squeeze but nothing that would be too uncomfortable. The ride quality in the new Yaris is really great, and even on the various gradients of surfaces I really couldn't fault it. Handling on the car is also quite superb, even though the car is bigger it's very easy to maneuver around, it's tight turn circle helps in this regard. 

TECHNOLOGY

We've seen Toyota introduce the large touchscreen multimedia players in their previous generation models but it was lacking a lot but the new decks they seem to be coming with have a wide array of features. Apart from the basic radio/ Bluetooth connectivity, it has USB and HDMI ports, satellite navigation, Apple Car Play and Android Auto connectivity, as well as mirror share! The system can also pair with WiFi and use apps such as YouTube and weather! While many aren't that technology inclined as yet since most of these features are relatively new, Toyota also include easy step by step videos which are built in to the deck, to show you how to connect and make use of these features. Something that's pretty cool and the first from a manufacturer that I know of. 

VERDICT

Overall the Yaris still remains a fun to drive small hatch, while it has grown in size, it seems to have matured along the way and really is a car for anybody. While I did mentioned the price has gone up, if you have to compare it to other cars in it's segment, it is still bang for buck worth the money. It offers more, it's reliable and you can't beat that Toyota heritage. It's the perfect in-betweener from the Etios and the new Auris which is due in the country soon. The Yaris has really been given a premium feel, and if you look at the details like the stitching and how well laid out the cabin is, you realise how much Toyota have upped their game. I'm really liking what I'm seeing from them so far and it's only going to get better.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	1.5  Litre
Gear Box	5 Speed Manual
Power	79kW
Torque	140Nm
Top Speed	180km/h (electronically governed)
Economy	5.9 L/100km
Price	R288,700

Bucket Seat: 2018 Toyota Yaris - First Impressions

Own it! That's the tag line for the new Toyota Yaris which is being launched this week in my beautiful province, just 20km up the road from my office, so getting there wouldn't have been a problem for me, hashtag just saying Toyota. Okay, enough with me being grumpy for being over looked for the launch because I'll be getting to spend a week with this latest generation small hatch from the Japanese giants. Well I suppose I can't really call it small anymore, since its arrival in 2005, the car stayed relatively the same size with a gradual growth in size as it went a long, if you recall, late last year I had the Yaris Pulse, which is a great car but I did make mention that the finishes and quality of certain interior finishes weren't the greatest. 

Getting to the all new Yaris, it has grown, a lot, it actually looks like a baby Auris, in fact I won't be surprised if some confuse the two when they see it on the road. When I say its bigger, I mean in 165mm in length and 5mm in width so its much longer than the old one which is very evident from the outside. The design while similar to the Auris has some details that differentiate the two. The lights  are a little longer and has a sweep to the end, their are more details in the front grille which takes some design cues from Lexus. There are some nice aerodynamic design elements which create a flow to the overall design from the front to the back. The c-pillar at the rear is blacked out and with the swooping rear wind shield, gives the car a very sporty look. 

Moving onto the inside, Toyota have totally reconfigured their dash and made everything central again, which I love! From the pictures the interior does look miles better than the old one. Also the large touch screen infotainment system finally has Apple Car-Play and Google Android Auto integration! Hooray! If you don't have those fancy phones, you'll be please to know that the car still has normal Bluetooth for telephone and audio streaming as well as satellite navigation! From the pictures, it seems like they've adopted climate control air conditioning as well but I think those are reserved for the higher end models. 

Power wise, all models of the new Yaris will be powered by the 1.5L, four cylinder petrol engine. Which utilizes a dual VVT-i and DOHC 16 valve layout. The engine pushes out 79kW and 140Nm of torque. The car is offered in both manual and automatic, with the manual being 6 speed shift with a top speed of 180km/h with the auto buyers have a choice of either the 5-speed transmission of Toyota's "Multidrive" CVT. The car is front wheel drive  so with the CVT, the car is enabled to react faster to acceleration input. I did find the Pulse to be a bit sluggish but that had a bigger gearbox and an older CVT system so perhaps this has fixed that issue. Will have to wait for the test unit to come in so I can confirm it. 

Pricing and Models:

1.5 Xi MT        - R230,800
1.5 Xs MT        - R253,400
1.5 Xs CVT      - R268,500
1.5 Cross          - R268,500
1.5 Sport           - R286,000

Bucket Seat: Toyota Yaris Pulse

With the ever fluctuating price of petrol, and the increasing price of cars now, many are opting for smaller and more fuel efficient vehicles. In South Africa, the B-Segment category is one of the popular ones, with small hatches being top of the list. A firm favourite with the majority is the VW Polo but with it's popularity over the years, comes a price as it is, according to insurance companies an extremely high risk car. Fortunately for the consumer, there are many other models to chose from the B-Segment range, and the next model that ticks all the boxes is made by one of the most reliable names in motoring, Toyota. The Japanese outfit first introduced the Yaris to our markets in the early 2000's, ever since then it became one of their popular smaller models. While it didn't have all the bells and whistles, it had everything a little run around would need at the time. Aircon, Power Steering, USB and ABS, moving onto today, the Yaris has evolved into a city car of the future, as I discovered recently while driving around in the new Yaris Pulse.

DESIGN

The design of the Yaris has taken a great turn for the better, it's new ultra sleek, modern Japanese look really suits the car, it almost looks like something out of a Manga cartoon. It has adopted the X style front end and spindle type grille from it's smaller brother the Aygo and knits into the new front head lights perfectly. The head lights and rear lights have been elongated from the previous model with edgy lines, adding to the Yaris sharp looks. The model came with two tone paint, with a dark maroon at the bottom and black on the roof and side pillars which really accentuated the car's design and appeal. The car comes with a multi-spoke 15" alloy wheels, which add's to the cars sporty appeal. Moving onto the inside, the layout is clean and neat. I particularly liked the instrument cluster, it's well laid out and easy to use. The large touch screen infotainment system is also pretty user friendly that has everything you need at a touch of a button.

PERFORMANCE

The engine in the isn't the most powerful one around but has sufficient power for the Yaris. It's a 1.5 litre, inline 4 cylinder motor which producers 82kW of power with 136Nm of torque. The model I had came with a seven speed CVT gearbox, yes you read right, the Yaris CVT has 7 gears and paddle shift. This did surprise me when I first saw it but it proved to be quite useful, not to mention quite fun to use you on windy roads. A warning though, making use of this function in sport mode (yes it has sport mode too) does tend to make the car a bit thirsty but overall the car is very fuel efficient. 

COMFORT

The Yaris is a small car and you not going to fit a circus in there but it is ergonomically designed for maximum comfort. Front passengers have tons of space for themselves, the rear passengers also have a decent amount of leg room given if the people in front reach some sort of compromise. The boot space has improved from the first gen model as well, you can get a decent amount of luggage in there. The car doesn't comes with climate control, which is a pity, I would have hoped that this one being a top of the line model would have it. The ride quality is good enough for a car like this, meaning you do feel the road if it's a bit bumpy but generally gives a good ride around most roads. The cruise control is pretty stock standard as well, does the job and with the 7 gear transmission really increases it's economy. 

VERDICT

Overall the new Yaris Pulse is a great city car, be it for going to and from work or for a kid going to college. It's small, has a great turning circle, has most of the tech that the younger crowd would want in a car. The engine is nippy and it is light on fuel. The looks are a bonus if you ask me, as there are many cars in the market which fit into this segment but don't really look that appealing. The car is well priced too, quality and finishes wise, the Polo does pip it in that department but Toyota's reliability and great resale value come into play.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	1.5 litre, 4 cylinder, CVT
Gear Box	7 speed automatic
Power	82kW
Torque	136Nm
Top Speed	175km/h
0-100km	11.2  seconds
Price	R 249,600