First Drive: New Toyota Yaris

Against the established brands like Honda City and Hyundai Verna, Toyota has introduced its brand new Yaris sedan in India that has seen a long time to be introduced in India. During the time of its arrival the Yaris was also considered as the most anticipated car, but its launch was dropped generation after generation for one reason or another. The new Toyota Yaris has finally been launched along with serial production at its plant in Bidadi near Bengaluru, and it is only available with a petrol engine. However, it has both manual as well as automatic versions right from its base variant. Toyota Yaris was already available in the International market and in India the car stacks up against Hyundai Verna, Honda City and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz.

Design
The Yaris took its design inspiration from its most popular sedan, the Toyota Corolla. It gets a soft and subtle treatment at the front. The wide lower front grille and some muscle on the bonnet which further try to give an aggressive look. The sides of Toyota Yaris gets some nice character line which makes the car look premium and more appealing. The headlamp cluster with projector is very different from that of the Corolla sedan and is being offered as a standard feature. However, Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) are available only on the top VX variant of Toyota Yaris. Overall, there is no striking design feature that you get away with.

Interiors
Inside the cabin, Toyota Yaris gets several first-in-class features including roof-mounted air vents with ambient illumination, acoustic and vibration control glass, 4.2-inch TFT MID with Eco wallet, hand/air gesture control for the infotainment system, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), and tail lamps with LED line guide. Other highlights include projector headlamps with LED line guide, LED DRLs, Shark-fin antenna, piano black interior, rear power outlets, rear sunshade and more.

Engine and Performance
Yaris’s 1.5- litre engine is very quiet and soft at idle. As soon as you hit the pedal, the Yaris becomes very responsive, which means, you can drive it in a relaxed manner and its performance feels effortless.

When we talk about mid-revs, the Yaris builds pace at relaxing speed, which could be disappointing to some. Power and performance do eventually begin to trickle in, and by 4,000rpm the engine is pulling much harder. But one thing's for sure – midrange performance isn't a strength here, especially in this state of tune.

At high revs, the harder you rev, the engine becomes a  little noisy. Still the Yaris performs pretty decent when you push your right foot to the floorboard, and though performance is behind its competition, like Honda City and Hyundai Verna, It is sufficient for a normal driver.

Ride and Handling
This is where the Yaris impresses the most. Its ride and handling package is one of the most balanced ones in the segment as not only does the car boast excellent bump-absorption abilities, but it also offers a sporty, confident and planted feel. The Yaris does not lose composure even when going fast over broken roads and doesn't unsettle occupants either. The experience over potholes is also quiet, with almost no thuds at all. That said, the cabin is prone to letting road and tyre noise into the cabin and sound insulation could have been better to offer a quieter in-cabin experience at highway speeds.

Safety and Features
In terms of safety, Toyota has decided to load the Yaris to the brim with a segment-leading safety kit. The Yaris is equipped with an all-wheel disc brakes, seven airbags (including a driver knee airbag), Hill-start Assist Control (HSC) and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), front parking sensors ABS, EBD and ESP. Toyota Yaris with similar specs was awarded five stars in ASEAN NCAP crash tests.

Verdict
Toyota Yaris may not be the best car in the segment but there is nothing wrong with the car as well. Its price begins from Rs 8.75 lakh for the base variant, but if high equipment levels are your thing, you will need to look at the “V” variant at least, which is priced at Rs 12.85 lakh. These prices are on the higher side, but the “V” variant gets features and equipment which the competition does not offer even as option, making it a lucrative package for buyers, if in the market for a midsize sedan.

Toyota Yaris G (MT Rs 10.56 lakh / CVT: Rs 11.76 lakh)

• Power folding mirrors with integrated turn indicators
• Chrome trim on grille

Instrument cluster with

• TFT multi-info display
• Push-button start
• 7.0-inch infotainment system with four speakers
• Steering-mounted audio controls
• Fog lamps (Front and rear)
• Dual rear parking sensors
• Rear defogger

Toyota Yaris V (MT: Rs 11.70 lakh / CVT Rs: 12.90 lakh)

• Four wheel disc brakes
• Automatic headlamps with follow me home feature
• Rain sensing wipers
• 15-inch alloy wheels
• Tail-lamps with LED inserts
• 7.0-inch infotainment system with six speakers
• Dual front parking sensors
• Quad rear parking sensors
• Cruise control

Toyota Yaris VX (MT: Rs 12.85 lakh / CVT: Rs 14.07 lakh)

• Chrome trim on door handles
• LED daytime running lamps
• 7.0-inch AVN infotainment system with six speakers
• Leather seats
• Powered driver's seat with eight-way adjustment
• Paddle shifters (CVT only)
• Hill-start assist
• Tyre pressure monitoring system
• Rear sunshade