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Drive a new Toyota? YARIS please ; MY FAVOURITE MANUFACTURER'S BACK WITH A SUPERB SUPERMINI [Mirror (UK)](Mirror (UK) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) IT'S no secret that I'm rather fond of Toyotas so I was over the moon to be one of the first journos to drive the all-new Toyota Yaris. Donnelly and Taggart were on the ball offering me this new model fresh from its makeover. From certain angles it looks a bit like the old model but the front is most striking, borrowing heavily from Toyota's new corporate design. It now looks like a cross between a Prius and the iQ. That's no bad thing as they're both great cars and I'm not just saying that because I'm biased. The boffins at Toyota are brilliant at creating interior space, they proved that when they came up with the tiny four-seater iQ. They kept some of that 'Dr Who's Tardis' technology for the Yaris. Its dimensions are small, it's only 3,855mm long and 1,695mm wide, but it still manages to feel large on the inside seating five in comfort. It's a pretty little car, a big improvement on the previous model. The Yaris has now matured and grown up. It's got a meaner stance, not so cute anymore and the 1.3SR model I was driving came with front fog lamps and low front spoiler to add to the sporty look. As this was the SR model it's technically the hot sporty version. It has a healthy but not barnstorming 90bhp. It will propel you from 0-60mph in 11.7 seconds and will run out of puff at 109mph. It does have 16 valves, double overhead cams and VVT-i which sound impressive to your mates down the pub but I just wished Toyota had let their hair down with this model and offer a proper hot- hatch too. The little 1.3-litre is raring to go and is free revving, surprisingly agile, handling beautifully through any corner I thew at it. Add excellent braking to that and you've got a great all- round performer. As well as the 1.3-litre petrol engine there is also a 1.0-litre with 69bhp that will do a very respectable 58.9mpg. The 1.3 does well too with a 52.3mpg but for me the 1.4-litre diesel would be the pick of the bunch. It's more economical at an incredible 72.4mpg, has a faster 0-60 time of 10.8 seconds and produces less Co2 than petrol units. It's a pity then that Toyota didn't take such a good platform and shoe-horn in a big sporty 1.6-litre engine, lowered suspension and squeeze a set of 18" alloys under those arches - then they could do battle with the likes of the Mini Cooper, Citroen DS3 and Ford Fiesta S1600. It would be great to see a return to those brilliant little Toyota hot-hatches of the 90s like the Starlet Glanza or, for those old enough to remember, the FWD Corolla GTi. Toyota have a chance to redeem themselves next year when they release their much anticipated sportscar, the hot, hot, hot FT-86. For those much more sensible and wiser than me there will also be a hybrid version of the Yaris too. It is perfect though for today's tough economical times and I can see why Toyota are sticking with sensible models. It is affordable, economical and packed full of technology you'd normally associate with luxury models. Inside the seats are really nice, red piping with half leather but one thing that annoyed me was after tilting them forward to gain access to the rear, the seats don't return to their original setting. They sit bold upright then you have to re-adjust every time someone gets in or out of the back. This may seem trivial but it become annoying after the school run. Toyota aren't the only offender, I recall the Honda Civic Type R had the same problem. I have a simply solution though, just buy the five-door version. Safety as always is Toyota's highest priority and the Yaris comes with seven airbags, ABS with EBD, brake assist, vehicle stability control, traction control, seat belt reminder warning lamp and buzzer and whiplash injury lessening seats. All in all it's one safe little car. Other extras include a panoramic sunroof and auto wipers and lights. New on the Yaris is a system called Toyota Touch and Go. It's a full multimedia system that centres around a 6.1" colour touch screen. There's an easy-to-use Sat Nav and all the mobile, iPod connectivity you'd expect. The Aux and USB jack is located in the glove box and there is also a handy concealed compartment for you to place your phone or MP3 player. The dash is very well laid out, not over-cluttered and has a grown up feel to it - no fancy digital speedo or blue neons. A handy little feature is the rear-view camera that is again viewed on the screen and makes parking so much easier. If you've got a compatible smart phone you can send and receive text messages, parking and weather information and loads more technical stuff that goes way over my head. All this cool kit is available as standard from TR grade but Toyota are offering a complimentary upgrade to the Touch and Go system on orders placed from now to November 30 as long as you register by March 31, 2012. Plus there is two years free servicing when financed through AccessToyota (6.9%) APR, and Toyota aren't done there as they are also offeringf a five-year/100,000 miles warranty. They have every right to be proud in this new Yaris as it's one supermini that deserves to be called super. ThE FACTS Toyota Yaris 1.3 SR Three-door hatchback Price: pounds 13,335 Engine: 1.3-litre four- cylinder, 99bhp 0-60mph: 11.7sec Fuel consumption: 52.3mpg C02: 123g/km s FOR MORE INFO ON THE NEW YARIS CONTACT DONNELY TAGGART ON: 02871 812 806 www.donnellytaggart.toyota.co.uk (c) 2011 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |