Toyota Yaris CVT Review — The Sensible Choice For The Less-Concerned

Almost four months after being in one of the most competitive segments in the automotive market, the Yaris has surely grabbed enough response. Mixed opinions have come up about the car over the last few months and here's everything you need to know about the Toyota Yaris CVT!

Design & Styling

To put it in one word, the styling of the Toyota Yaris is ‘questionable'. The sedan follows Toyota's global design language which, to be honest, has worked well on some models but not really on some others; the Yaris being one of them.

Up front, the large bumper houses an even larger grille formation. There is no other sedan (or any car, for that matter) on the market with such a huge grille. Flanking it on either side are the pair of fog lamps enclosed in a teardrop-like housing.

The narrowed and elongated headlamps have got projectors inside while the LED DRLs are placed underneath. Chrome is minimal and the overall front proportion looks matured.

The side profile shows how much the India-spec Yaris has been focussedon our market. In comparison to its global sibling — the Yaris Ativ — the sedan has got smaller 15-inch wheels which forms a noticeable hollow within the arches. The Indian version also rides higher at a ground clearance of 160mm.

The rear perspective offers the best looks, especially when viewed from a quarter. The tail lamps have got LED strips and wraparound the corners, smoothly. The fog lamps have been placed functionally and gracefully at the bottom corners of the minimal-sculpture rear bumper.

Although not visible that easily, the roofline is rather knobbly with a slight dip towards the rear windshield, where the shark-fin antenna is placed — strange design cue, but goes well with the overall aesthetics.

Manual variant shown

On the inside, the dashboard follows a pattern coined as ‘waterfall design'. With the rich mingling of leather, brushed metal, gloss black and contrasting chrome, the interiors of the Toyota Yaris look quite elegant.

Manual variant shown

The seats do not look anything special but it offers the best comfort and support than any other sedan in its segment. The same goes to the rear seating; wide and welcoming for three adults — more on it coming down.

Specifications, Mileage & Performance

As mentioned before, the Toyota Yaris comes only in a petrol format — a 1.5-litre dual-VVTi* four-cylinder unit which makes 105bhp and 140Nm of torque. Available mated to a 6-speed manual or a 7-step CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission), the engine is similar to that of the Toyota Etios — the sedan which sits under the Yaris in the brand's product portfolio —except for the dual-VVTi unit.

*Dual-VVTi (Variable Valve Timing with intelligence) allows the opening/closing of both the intake and exhaust valves (just the intake valves in regular VVT-i) at variable timings. In essence, the system helpsimproveperformance, fuel efficiency and emission control.

In case you've forgotten, we drove the CVT variant (top-of-the-line VX AT, to be exact) and one should definitely know that fun and engaging driving experience is not something you can expect from the Toyota Yaris.

The engine is decently responsive to the throttle but that sinks down under the ‘rubberiness' of the CVT unit. Of course, being a CVT, there is no point in going deep on the throttle pedal but a good driver can bring the car to adequate speeds without bringing the RPMs high up. The all-wheel disc brakes (available in only the top two variants) instil confidence too.

Being the top-spec automatic variant, the Toyota Yaris we drove came with paddle shifters. However, paddles are meant for spirited driving and its combination with a CVT usually fails to deliver it. This is particularly evident while trying to do quick overtakes or drive fast.

Toyota doesn't seem to have even remotely considered to make the Yaris, a car meant to be driven. So if not the driver seat, in which department does the Yaris excel in?

Comfort!

The Toyota Yaris is the most comfortable sedan you can buy in its segment or maybe, one of the best on the entire market.

Toyota has made huge leaps in setting up the suspension of the car for the Indian roads. The pliant suspension offers composed rebounds and makes the Yaris go soft on most broken roads.

The ride is still not bouncy unlike conventional soft suspensions and the car responds calmly with the steering inputs — flick the nice leather-gripped wheel and the sedan gently wafts to its new-set direction.

Adding more to the comfort department is the class-leading levels of NVH (Noise, Vibration & Harshness) controls. At moderate cruising speeds, the cabin is near-silent and if you go fast, you will instantly notice that wind noise is substantially lower than that observed in other cars.

As for mileage, the Toyota Yaris CVT has got a claimed mileage of 17.8km/l (17.1km/l for the manual). However, in real-world conditions, unless you are really gentle and feathery with the throttle, mileage figures are much lesser. Whilst we were driving a bit hard, the instrument console showed figures close to even 10km/l. But still, the 42-litre fuel tank promises decent range.

Features, Safety & Practicality

The Toyota Yaris is mainly marketed for the long list of features and creature comforts it comes with; some of them even being segment-first. Another highlight of the Yaris is that it is one of the very few cars in India to offer seven airbags as standard. In fact, safety is one strong suit of the Toyota Yaris, so much so that it has received a five-star rating inthe ASEAN NCAP (New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asia).

The seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system has got a decent UI/UX but feels a bit behind on response. It can be tilted to different positions or can be folded completely to reveal the CD player and SD card slot. Gesture control is the main party trick of the infotainment system even though it misses out on Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The roof-mounted rear AC system — a unique and unusual feature in cars in general — offers fast and efficient cooling while also freeing up the rear legroom (where rear AC vents are usually situated). The blue ambient illumination beside the AC vents further creates a sense of occasion for the rear passengers.

In addition to this, the Yaris comes with a host of driving assists such as electronic stability control, hill-start assist, front & rear parking sensors and reverse camera; cruise control and Tyre Press Monitoring System (TPMS).

On the practicality and convenience front, the Toyota Yaris comes with a lot of storage spaces including a sunglass holder. The rear seats can be split-folded in 60:40 ratio while the driver seat is eight-way adjustable. With a luggage capacity of 476 litres, the Toyota Yaris is also an ideal car for long trips.

Some Other Features:

Leather seats
Cooled glovebox
Rain-sensing wipers
Rear sunshade
Push start/stop button
Electrically-adjustable and foldable ORVMs
ABS+EBD+BA

Variants, Pricing & Competition

The Toyota Yaris was launched in May 2018 at a starting price of Rs 8.75 lakh and the VX AT trim we've tested is priced at Rs 14.07 lakh; both prices being ex-showroom (Delhi). You can book yours from your nearest Toyota dealership for Rs 50,000.

Below are the variants and respective pricing of the Toyota Yaris:

The Toyota Yaris is available in six colours: Super White (review car), Pearl White, Silver Metallic, Wildfire Red, Phantom Brown and Grey Metallic.

Here's a brief comparison of the Toyota Yaris with its primary rivals in the C-segment sedan category:

Additional Information

Service Intervals:

• 1000km or 1 month
• 10,000km or 12 months
• 20,000km or 24 months

Warranty:

• 3 years or 1,00,000km (extendable to seven years)



Final Verdict

The Toyota Yaris is one of those cars meant just for the Indian. Toyota aims the Yaris to be an elegant choice for working individuals between the age of 30 and 40 and it is nothing short of it. The sedan isn't suited for people who love driving but is one of the best choices in its price range, for those who enjoy being driven around.



DriveSpark Thinks!

The Toyota Yaris is not for the performance-obsessed or the attention grabbers. The potential buyers of the Yaris are the ones who've accomplished things in life and need an occasional escape from all their duties and responsibilities. Buying the Yaris is a sensible choice rather than by instinct; or in short, it's ‘All Sense. All Sedan.'

Makes sense?

Photography: Abijith Vilangil