The Toyota Yaris has been given a mid-life update to help make it the same fine all-rounder it was three years ago.
What’s new?
After being on the market for three years, it’s time for a nip and tuck for the country’s best-selling B-segment hatchback. While mid-life facelifts usually feature only small visual changes, the alterations are quite significant in the Toyota Yaris.
The front and rear ends have been extensively revised to look considerably different than ever and, at the same time, to come in line with the just-launched Yaris Ativ saloon. The facelifted Yaris also comes with a new interior shared with its four-door cousin.
Toyota has also taken the opportunity to tune the suspension to enhance handling and ride factors by varying the damping values of the shock absorbers and springs. The steering is also said to be more direct.
As the Yaris is built to the country’s Ecocar I rules, the 86hp 1.2-litre petrol engine remains in place with combined economy and CO2 ratings meeting the 20kpl minimum and 120g/km maximum; the Yaris Ative shares exactly the same technical credentials.
There are four grades for the revised Yaris starting from J Eco priced at 489,000 baht to range-topping G, as tested here, costing 619,000 baht. Spec on spec, the five-door is 10,000 baht dearer than the four-door.
What’s cool?
Design-wise, the Yaris now has sleeker looks and cleaner lines thanks to the slimmer lights on both the front and rear ends. Of course, sharing bits with other models is all part of the car business. To these eyes, at least, the cosmetic changes seem effective because the pre-facelift Yaris had some gawky design elements.
The same goes for the cabin where you’ll also find a shared steering wheel, apart from the fascia and door panels that have a solid build when compared to practically all of its hatchback rivals. And speaking of the cabin, the Yaris still has the best amount of usable space for both occupants and their belongings.
Toyota’s aim to improve the driving characteristics seems confirmed on the move where the Yaris delivers slightly higher levels of driving agility. It not only feels marginally sharper to drive and more refined than in the Yaris Ativ but way ahead of what the shoddy Mitsubishi Mirage and Nissan March could offer. The ride, as well, is arguably the best in-class by being both taut and quiet at most times.
Along with the Yaris Ativ, the Yaris becomes the first car in its segment to feature seven airbags made standard across the range. And the good thing is that the Yaris still has prices competing properly with the rest of the field.
What’s not?
Despite its improved road manners, the Yaris still can’t beat the Mazda 2 for driving fun. Even if the Yaris had a chassis to match, its four-cylinder petrol engine is more about economy than fizz. And like in most competitors suited to Ecocar I rules, the 20kpl is hardly achievable in the Yaris, where we got 17kpl on a drive to Kanchanaburi.
One thing lacking to match the youthful concept of the Yaris is infotainment, which is quite odd because the Yaris Ativ gets it in higher spec form. All of a sudden, the 10k premium the five-door commands over the four-door seems bewildering (Toyota says the hatchback has more expensive features like the fin-type antenna on the roof, as such).
Buy or bye?
When Toyota launched the Yaris in its current generation three years ago, it earned a place in our annual top 10 cars list for it was practical, comfortable and good value.
Well, it seems that remains the case today for the Yaris. It may be just be a mid-life revision, but the relatively small changes have made it a better car amid an aging competition.
The Yaris may not be without faults, but its inherent virtues remain firmly intact to still make it the best all-rounder in its class. In fact, the Yaris hatchback stands out in its class more clearly than what the Yaris Ativ can do in the B-segment saloon segment.
ANOTHER OPTION COMING SOON
The next all-new B-segment hatchback to go on sale in Thailand will be the Suzuki Swift.
Due for Thai launch early next year, the redesigned Swift is based on a new platform and is said to come with a new engine. The five-door hatch has already been launched in Europe and Japan.
But rather than coming with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol-turbo engine (called Boosterjet) or mild hybrid version, the motor chosen for Thailand is said to be 1.2-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol unit with dual fuel injector system, known as Dualjet in Suzuki speak.
Codenamed K12C, Dualjet produces the same 91hp and 118hp as in the previous model, where the engine is known as K12B. However, fuel economy and CO2 level are said to be better so that the Swift can attract Ecocar II rules of 23.3kpl and 100g/km.
