Toyota’s new Yaris arrived in South Africa a few weeks ago and SunWheels got the opportunity to test the range-topping Sport.
The first thing that strikes you about the latest Yaris is that it is bigger and bolder than its predecessors. In fact, the cute looks and city hatch size have made it sportier and the increase makes it almost as big as the Auris!
After test driving it for a week, it felt as if Toyota should have rather ditched the Yaris name in favour of the Run-X badge. Yes, for SunWheelsthe new Yaris feels more like the successor to the iconic Run-X, which was a top-selling Toyota model until about a decade ago. The reasons are that the 2018 Yaris has a similar sporty appearance to the older Run-X model and it has the same fun character.
There is a lot to like about the latest Yaris and SunWheelsis a fan of its eye-catching exterior styling and the Sport version looks quite racy too with snazzy alloy wheels and a number of sexy touches.
A major plus on the new Yaris is the amount of interior space for passengers. There is lots of room for four adults and their luggage.
Our test Yaris also had leather seats as well as all the bells and whistles such as climate control.
It also came with an impressive multimedia system with a touchscreen display that can be connected to most smartphones.
In terms of build quality, it feels solid but the fit and finish isn’t as upmarket as the new VW Polo.
It has a decent range of safety features too with a range of airbags surrounding the cabin, ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution and hill-start assist.
The 1,5-litre engine has enough power that it never seems to struggle whether you are driving in and around town or on the freeway – it always seems to have enough power while the manual gearbox shifts are smooth too.
The new Yaris is definitely a more attractive vehicle than its predecessor and it makes a strong case for itself in its very competitive market.
Factbox
- Model: Toyota Yaris Sport
- Price: R288 700
- Engine: 1,5-litre petrol
- Power: 79kW @ 6 000r/min
- Torque: 140Nm @ 4 200r/min
- Service plan: three-year/45 000 km
