The fourth generation of the full hybrid system hardly deviates from the original Toyota successful concept ten years ago. The NZZ test shows whether the announced improvements give the Yaris Cross a real SUV feeling.
With its SUV body and higher ground clearance, the Yaris Cross differs from the basic model Toyota Yaris primarily on the outside.
The Toyota Yaris Cross is aimed entirely at the European market. Production in Valenciennes, France, is expected to deliver 150,000 examples a year of the mix of city car and go-anywhere SUV. In Switzerland, however, interest in small SUVs is not yet overwhelming. Since its launch last year, the Yaris Cross has accounted for nearly 16 percent of total Yaris sales.
The test car comes from the first batch available in Switzerland in the Premiere Edition equipment, equipped with a 1.5-liter three-cylinder petrol engine in combination with an electric motor and an electrically controlled continuously variable CVT automatic transmission.
The usually complicated selection of paid extras is no longer necessary with the Yaris Cross Premiere Edition. The price of just under 39,000 francs includes an extensive equipment package, including two-zone air conditioning, a head-up display, a panoramic roof, a leather interior and all of the driver assistance systems available from Toyota. Nothing can be ordered as an option – as befits a top model.
A color-contrasting roof is standard on the Yaris Cross.
The body of the small SUV is completely different from the base Yaris. The design with slightly angular wheel cutouts, rear lights with a hint of a rear spoiler, massive wheel housings and two-tone paintwork is more striking than on any previous Yaris, from which the Cross should also clearly set itself apart.
interior
Apparently, the Toyota group attaches importance to the fact that vehicles of the core brand must differ significantly from those of the luxury offshoot Lexus. Therefore, apparently, the interior comfort should not be too high. The Toyota Yaris Cross gives this impression inside. The increased ground clearance is comfortable when getting in and out. The seats are also comfortable, but the choice of materials seems a bit monotonous, the gray to black materials predominate. Only the leather covers, the heated leather steering wheel and the 10-inch display enthroned in the middle of the dashboard stand out a bit.
The Yaris Cross is also somewhat confusing due to its high waistline. Despite its modest value of 1.77 meters, the vehicle width cannot always be accurately estimated. Accordingly, driving in narrow streets is a challenge for some pilots.
The spacious seats and the electric tailgate are also comfortable for a small SUV. The trunk, however, with a fairly high loading sill, is more spacious than that of the small car brother Yaris – which is also expected in an SUV. However, Toyota does not specify exact liter volume figures.
The ergonomics in the cockpit of the Yaris Cross are successful. However, the high waistline does not always make it easy to estimate the width of the vehicle.
Set up
When tuning the chassis, the usual picture emerges in vehicles with higher ground clearance. Raising it by 30 millimeters results in a higher center of gravity for the Yaris Cross. For this reason, it is not surprising that the spring/damper units are tightly tuned to avoid increased body roll in corners.
The steering feels a bit synthetic at times, but not consistently. However, steering behavior and cornering stability are good average – as expected from an everyday SUV.
The Yaris Cross flows well in traffic. When overtaking, however, it can occasionally get noisy due to the continuously variable automatic transmission.
drive
When it comes to the drive, Toyota benefits from its many years of experience with all-wheel drive vehicles. The AWD-i (intelligent all-wheel drive) offers as desired better traction and stability, especially in rain, mud or snow. The Yaris Cross’s curb weight of less than 1.5 tons indicates that the electric system is lighter than mechanical all-wheel drive systems. This is to minimize consumption. It is noticeable during the test drives that the drive load falls almost completely to the rear wheels when starting off. In normal operation without sporting ambitions, on the other hand, only the front wheels work. If it becomes slippery, the rear wheels switch to support, which gives the Toyota Yaris Cross the opportunity to advance into easy terrain.
The type of gearbox used remains a well-known annoyance. The automatic transmission is stepless and results in a long, drawn-out roar of the engine during intermediate sprints or a hard step on the gas pedal until the power is transferred to the wheels. Toyota, like some other Japanese manufacturers, stubbornly sticks to this CVT transmission, while other car manufacturers have been using dual-clutch transmissions with better drive performance for years. The 1997 Toyota Prius is particularly memorable when overtaking slower vehicles, and the new Yaris Cross sometimes feels like a 25-year-old vehicle. A big minus.
Despite higher ground clearance and all-wheel drive, you will hardly find the Toyota Yaris Cross off-road, it is more at home on urban roads.
economy
Thanks to its combination of electric and petrol drive, the Toyota Yaris Cross has a standard fuel consumption of just 5.1 liters per 100 kilometers. We weren’t surprised that this could also be reproduced in reality with little freeway use under full load. We were at 5.6 liters – an acceptable upward deviation.
Admittedly, due to the selected drive, the Yaris Cross does not motivate a particularly sporty driving style, which would excessively increase consumption.
Conclusion
Toyota knows all-wheel drive SUVs. In addition to the RAV4 and the C-HR, the smallest representative of the guild cuts a fine figure in the Japanese manufacturer’s range. It can handle any surface, is comfortable and has enough space and power for everyday use. Anyone who chooses the basic version pays from almost 24,000 francs. The tested top version is 15,000 francs more expensive, but then equipped with all available extras. If you need a modern everyday car with slip-free propulsion, you will find it here.