Toyota Yaris: Which variant to buy?

The Toyota Yaris has been running around some of the world’s most populated and major cities for a while now. The first generation of the Yaris made its debut twenty years ago in 1999, and since then, it has gone on to become one of the Japanese auto giant’s best sellers. Just like in most countries that it’s sold in,

the B-segment Yaris hatchback has garnered a significant following in many of the South East Asian markets as well. In its facelifted third-generation avatar, the latest of the breed arrived on the shores of the Philippines back in late 2017. The Toyota Yaris hatchback is built upon the marque’s B platform architecture, and it’s also shared with the Vios sedan sibling.

In the Philippines, the nearest competitor to the new Toyota Yaris is none other than the Honda Jazz, which incidentally starts at a lower price than its arch-nemesis. Meanwhile, there are three variants of the Yaris to choose from, with prices ranging from between Php 890,000 to Php 1,060,000. So among them all, which variant should you buy? But before find that out, let’s first some of the As & Bs of the Yaris out of the way…

The basics

The new Toyota Yaris hatch measures in at 4,145mm in length, 1,730mm in width and 1,500mm in height, respectively. The Yaris has a ground clearance of 140mm, wheelbase of 2,550mm, and a kerb weight that’s just shy of 1.1 tonnes. Compared to its predecessor that played it safe on the styling front, the more sculpted exterior design of the new Yaris features sharper lines and is way more aggressive, youthful and sporty in its overall demeanour.

The front end gets a heavily-contoured bonnet, sleek grille that’s flanked by a pair of sharp-looking and stylish headlamps. The sporty bumper houses a slim air-intake vent, LED daytime-running lights (DRLs), large central air dam and voguish fog lamp housings. Meanwhile, the side profile of the new Yaris is vastly similar to its precursor, but for the new design of the 15-inch alloy wheels and black painted C-pillars. Around the back, there are new LED-combination tail lamps and a prominent rear roof spoiler.

As for what’s under the hood, the Philippines-spec Yaris can be optioned with one of two powerplants: there’s the lower output 1NR-FE four-popper mill that churns out 98hp and 123Nm of torque, and in the range-topping variant, there’s the 1.5-litre 2NR-FE four-cylinder that meats out 106hp and 40Nm of maximum pull. While the base trim can only be had with a 5-speed manual gearbox,

the rest two are equipped with a CVT unit - all channelling the engine’s grunt to the front wheels, only. If speed is a key factor behind your purchase, even the Yaris 1.5 will not impress you much -- it needs a whole 11 seconds to clock 100 kmph and tops out at 175 kmph. Having said that, the new Toyota Yaris (even with the larger motor) is capable of delivering over 19 kmpl on a combined cycle.

According to the Japanese carmaker, the new Toyota Yaris boasts one of the most spacious cabins in its segment. This means that there’s quite a lot of room for its five occupants, becoming even better with only four. Toyota engineers haven’t forgotten about the interior’s practicality and user-friendly ergonomics, either,

providing several cubbies and storage areas, and ensuring that the seats provide an acceptable blend of comfort and cushioning. The interior of the new Yaris has also been built with long-lasting materials, while fit-and-finish and reliability are a non-issue as well. However, the design of the interior itself isn’t as interesting, and most of the plastics feel pretty low-rent.

The most pragmatic variant

Irrespective of which variant of the new Toyota Yaris you choose, they all get 15-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps, rear window wiper with defogger, keyless entry, fabric seats, split-folding rear bench, driver seat height adjust with steering wheel tilt adjustment, power-adjustable wing mirrors, air-conditioning, and a 7-inch touch-infotainment system with CD/MP3, AUX, USB, Bluetooth,

and Weblink for iOS/Android among others. And even the base Yaris comes with a glowing 5-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating, thanks to the inclusion of seven airbags (Driver, Passenger, Driver Knee, Side, Curtain Shield), ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System) with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC), and ISOFIX rear seat anchor points.

On the other hand, the top-spec Yaris features halogen projector headlamps, LED DRLs, chrome outer door handles, power-retractable wing mirrors, ‘Eco’ and ‘Sport’ mode selector switch, push-button engine start, leather-stitched multifunction steering wheel & gear lever, single-zone automatic climate control, 6-speaker sound system, and speed-sensing auto door locking mechanism.

However, if you really must have a Toyota Yaris in your life but want to spend as little money as possible, the entry-level 1.3 E (MT) variant at Php 890,000 is your best bet. On the other hand, if you need the convenience of an automatic transmission but are fine with missing out on some extra kit, the 1.3 E (AT) trim at Php 942,000 seems to be the most pragmatic option among the bunch.

Also Read:- 2020 Toyota Yaris to get the brand-new GA-B platform