Toyota’s Yaris super mini, which has done so well everywhere it’s been marketed, has never been available in this country, so news of the impending arrival here of the latest model — just two months after it was first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show — stirred up loads of local interest.
The perky little commuter slots in between the Tazz and the Corolla, and South African motorists are among the first in the world to be offered the little car.
The model line-up here consists of four variants, all driven by the same 63 kW/121 Nm 16-valve DOHC 1,3-litre engine. The entry-level Yaris T3 and the more upmarket T3 plus versions come with five-speed manual transmissions, while the flagship T3 Spirit is also available with a four-speed auto gearbox.
Despite its engine displacing only 1,3 litres, the little Toyota is a lively performer, and can reach 160kph at sea level with ease. On a long, gentle downhill I saw 183kph on the digital speedometer, which was probably a genuine 170kph or thereabouts.
The entry-level T3 model is very impressive because it’s very well specced for the price Toyota’s asking. For R108Â 420 you get Toyota’s traditional build quality plus a height-adjustable steering wheel, a rear-window washer/wiper, a multifunction information display, a radio/CD player with four speakers, a headlamp-levelling system, power steering, driver and passenger front airbags (handy if you’re fond of your spouse) and ABS brakes with brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution. A factory-fitted air-con adds R7Â 500 to the price.
The T3+ retails at R123Â 520, for which you’ll gain remote central locking, electric exterior mirrors and electric windows. The well-heeled can cough up R137Â 320 (R147Â 320 for the automatic) Yaris Spirit, which is pretty well full-house, with leather upholstery, front fog lights, side curtain airbags, driver knee-protection airbags, 15″ alloy wheels and a reach-adjustable steering wheel.
The newest Toyota is also the safest. The Euro NCAP safety-testing results for the Yaris were announced just before the launch, and the little car scored 35 points to earn five stars — the best adult protection rating to date for a Toyota product.
The Yaris five-door hatch is spacious, accommodating four adults with ease and five at a push. The rear seats can slide 150mm backwards and forwards, expanding luggage capacity from 272 litres to 363 litres, or folded flat in a jiffy to provide a maximum of 737 litres’ stowage.
The innovative dash layout and vertical switch-gear panel see the digital instrument cluster placed in the centre, leaving space for a conventional cubby plus a smaller one on each side for the driver and front-seat passenger. The speedometer offers an interesting 3D effect, and allows the passenger a very visible indication of the speed attained — not always a good thing!
Toyotas have always sold well in this country because they’re solidly built, reliable and well supported by the people who sell them. Their one setback has been that they’re often, well, a little bland. Not so the Yaris. It’s an interesting, fun-filled little car at a good price, and the fact that it’s built by Toyota is a bonus. Add in the 15Â 000km service intervals, 60Â 000km/four-year service plan and three-year/100Â 000km warranty, and it looks like an absolute bargain.