There has never been so much buyer selection in the market for a new SUV, and yet over the past 50 years, there have been so few new sedans and sedans to buy.
SUV sales surpassed those of sedans, sedans and pickup trucks in 2017 — before accounting for more than 50% of new car sales in 2021 — and they haven’t looked back.
Automakers promise that those cars are more practical and will bring out your inner weekend adventurer (whether it’s mountain biking, kayaking, or another off-the-cuff expedition), but they’re more expensive to buy and less fuel-efficient.
But as a city vehicle, one that doesn’t want to bring the whole family or drive around Australia, do you want an SUV?
We’ve covered the question about Toyota’s SUVs and hatchback twins (the small-sized Yaris hatchback and the Yaris Cross SUV).
Given the similarities between those cars (they provide the bases, engines, and much of their interiors), we’ll talk about the basics of the two cars in the Yaris hatchback sections of this comparison and concentrate on the differences between SUVs. in the components of the Yaris Cross.
Until recently, the Toyota Yaris range consisted of five models: the petrol Ascent Sport, the petrol and hybrid SX, and the petrol and hybrid ZR, all equipped with an automatic transmission as standard. Gasoline models were discontinued in March 2024.
The vehicle tested in this review is the ZR Hybrid, priced at $33,260 plus highway use fees, $1,260 more than in 2020.
With its two-tone Bronx Bronze paint and $1,350 black roof, this test car costs $34,610 plus road charges, or $38,483 per car in Sydney, according to the price estimator on Toyota Australia’s website.
It’s in line with competing trims, from the Volkswagen Polo Style worth $32,540 plus highway prices (the style above the Life, the 2024 Car of the Year, the most productive city car under $30,000) to the $28,070 more on the highway. rates for the Mazda 2 G15 GT hatchback and $38,990 for the Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo in Car.
The ZR trim adds 16-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, head-up display, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front seats with cloth upholstery, and black and red interior accents.
Features shared with less expensive models include LED headlights, virtual tool display, leather-wrapped steering wheel, keyless entry and start, adjustable climate control, 7. 0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and satellite navigation, six speakers and autonomous emergency. Braking, Lane Centering Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control.
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Toyota Yaris
Toyota Yaris Cruz
All models in the Toyota Yaris Cross range are hybrids (after the petrol-only version was discontinued at the end of 2023), but their diversity is even wider, with seven variants spread across four trim levels (GX, GXL, GR Sport and Urban) and front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
The revised Yaris Cross is the GR Sport worth $36,000 plus road costs. With the two-tone Frosted White and Ink paint on this test car, the value rises to $37,350 plus road costs, or $41,368 through a car in Sydney, according to the value estimator on Toyota Australia’s website.
We would have liked a Yaris Cross GXL 2WD, which costs $3,000 less and is only missing the GR Sport’s larger 18-inch wheels, sport-tuned suspension, exclusive external and internal trim and a few other minor extras. However, none could be obtained. Try.
For the same value as the GR Sport, the Yaris Cross Urban is also available, which loses the GR Sport’s extras but gains exclusive 18-inch wheels, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, a power tailgate, leather cloth and upholstery, and a head-up display.
Rivals to the Yaris Cross GR Sport come with the Mazda CX-3 Touring SP ($34,450 plus highway charges), Volkswagen T-Cross Style ($33,490 more on-highway), Kia Stonic GT-Line ($32,490 in-car), Skoda. Kamiq Style ($37,990 in-car) and Ford Puma ST-Line V ($36,390 more on-highway), which will soon be discontinued.
A left-leaning option is the Suzuki Jimny XL, a five-door car that starts at $36,490 more on the highway, while buyers can also buy a larger gas-powered MG ZST for $33,490 in-car, or a Hyundai Kona Hybrid for $36,000 more on the highway. road trip expenses.
Most Yaris Crosses are shared with the sedan, although there are some differences.
The Yaris Cross comes with 18-inch wheels, a 360-degree camera, 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats, a USB-C port, and GR Sport extras like modified front and rear bumpers, black mirror housings, discounted sets. suspension, red brake calipers, suede and leatherette upholstery, a slew of GR badges, and aluminum pedals, but it lacks the hatchback’s cloth trim and front display.
The Toyota Yaris belongs to the smallest passenger car category in terms of dimensions: it measures 3,940 mm long, 1,695 mm wide and 1,505 mm tall on a wheelbase of 2,550 mm.
The interior is rarely as flashy as some competitors (including the Volkswagen Polo and Skoda Fabia), but it’s easy to report and master, with a classic shifter and classic dials and knobs for volume, climate, and other key functions.
A faux leather-look curtain is used at the top of the dashboard, and there are red accents to add a bit of color to the cabin, but the rest of the cabin fabrics are hard to touch, adding the door armrests, which are trimmed in black. Suede but hard plastic underneath.
Front occupants sit lower in the car, as you’d expect from a hatchback, in heated or electrically adjustable seats, but offering a clever combination of comfort and support.
The white and gray cloth upholstery is soft, but for drivers buying a gas tank chocolate bar, it doesn’t seem as easy to clean as leather or black fabric.
The steering wheel is too big, the leather curtains used to upholster it are comfortable enough for the price, and the buttons are easy to use after a few days with the car.
There are two garage spaces in the sprint and one in front of the shifter for phones or wallets, as well as a good-sized glove box; However, the wallet at the door can’t hold much more than a bottle, and frustratingly, it doesn’t have a front. -Center armrest or canopy compartment between the front seats for valuables.
Amenities come with a single USB-A port for charging devices and smartphone connectivity, a 12-volt outlet, single-zone climate control, four windows with automatic up and down, keyless entry and start, and manual parking brake.
Rear seat space is limited for this class. Sitting next to my 6’1″ (186 cm) cabin, my head and knees touch the roof and front seat respectively, and it’s even less comfortable for a taller passenger.
Entry and exit are not the simplest due to the small opening of the door and the side windows are not the largest. The base of the seat gives at least moderately and there is a small bulge in the middle of the floor.
There are no air vents, USB ports, or folding armrests for rear passengers, not a single map pocket.
Toyota claims 270 litres of boot space – smaller than a Volkswagen Polo (351L) but larger than a Mazda 2 (250L) – with a removable “false floor” that makes the floor flat when the rear seats are lowered in a 60:40 ratio. divide.
With the raised floor in place, it’s big enough for a full-size suitcase, but not much else, and there’s no 12-volt outlet or bag hooks. There is a spare wheel that saves space under the boot floor.
According to Toyota’s spec sheet, the Yaris Cross is only 10mm longer than the Yaris hatchback between the front and rear wheels; However, it’s a bumper-to-bumper that’s 245mm longer, 70mm wider, and 75mm taller, meaning more internal area for passengers and cargo.
The seating position is particularly higher than that of the tailgate and there’s more headroom for taller drivers – legroom up front is comparable to the regular Yaris.
Most of the interior of the Yaris Cross SUV was copied from the Yaris sedan; The length and buttons of the steering wheel, tool pool, infotainment screen, key controls, and garage spaces are all shared or nearly equal between the cars.
There are a few differences at the front of the Yaris Cross GR Sport: a USB-C port to complement the USB-A socket, a Nanoe-X air filtration system, black accents instead of red, and a different electric parking brake than the classic. . Handbrake lever, which allows the cup holders to be larger and positioned closer to the gear lever for easier access.
Most other tweaks are express for this GR Sport variant, adding metallic-look pedal covers and GR badges on the seats, wheels, and floor mats.
The front seats are the same as the Yaris ZR hatchback (and some of the other Yaris Cross models), but the leather curtains on the bolsters and suede inserts are just as comfortable as the hatchback’s fabric, so the seats are just as comfortable. As with the Yaris hatch, they are not electrically adjustable or heated.
The Yaris Cross achieves its biggest advances over the Yaris hatchback in the rear seats. There’s a little more knee and foot room, because the wheelbase is longer and the front seats are higher, but a lot more headroom for passengers who are over six feet.
The central part of the rear backrest folds down like an armrest – with two cup holders – while visibility through the side windows is better, it is easier to get in and out of the car thanks to the larger door openings and the doors closing more easily. a more reassuring sound than the Yaris sedan.
However, there are still no air vents, USB ports, or 12-volt outlets for rear passengers, and parking space at the front and rear remains limited.
The boot is larger, with a claimed volume of 390L, with a deeper, wider shipping domain that’s more usable for occasional trips to the airport depot than the Yaris’s hatch.
Like the Yaris hatchback, the Cross has a detachable “dummy floor,” but has a two-piece design for flexibility. The SUV also benefits from lighting on the left side of the boot and small parts compartments on both sides of the shipping area.
The Toyota Yaris’ 7. 0-inch infotainment touchscreen includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, integrated satellite navigation, voice control, and virtual AM, FM and DAB radio.
The infotainment software is older than that of other Toyota models (as well as the Yaris examples sold in Europe) and feels its age in the Yaris, with dated graphics and slow responses, it’s easy to use, with rows of clearly marked buttons. and dials for key functions.
The head-up demonstration is an add-on (and rare in a car of this length) that projects the vehicle’s speed and other key data onto the windshield.
The tools are critical (with digitized readings of speed, gear, fuel level, and hybrid formula power, along with a 4. 2-inch display), but they’re easy to read and work well.
Music lovers will probably be disappointed with the high-volume six-speaker sound formula, but it sometimes offers adequate sound quality for the price. The six-speaker Beats audio formula on a VW Polo Style is more powerful.
The Yaris doesn’t feature Toyota Connected Services, which come with an emergency call feature, stolen vehicle tracking, and a smartphone app with the vehicle’s location, fuel level, and other information.
The Yaris Cross has the same 7. 0-inch infotainment screen (with Apple CarPlay and Android Cars Highlights, satellite navigation, and AM/FM/DAB virtual radio) and a three-piece virtual tool cluster as the Yaris hatchback, as noted above.
It also has a surround-view camera formula (although, like the Yaris hatchback’s rearview camera, its solution is far superior) and Toyota Connected Services, with free lifetime access to maximum features and only 3 years on others (stolen). Vehicle Tracking, Recent Trip View, and Guest Driver Mode) before Toyota charges a fee of $4. 95 per month.
The six-speaker audio formula is identical. The Yaris Cross GR Sport doesn’t have the head-up display of the ZR hatch, although that styling is available on the affordable Urban model.
The Toyota Yaris received a five-star score through the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) in 2020, based on the recently superseded but still strict 2020-2022 verification protocols.
It scored 86 percent for adult occupant protection, 87 percent for child protection, 78 percent for vulnerable road user protection, and 87 percent for protective assistive technology.
Only the Volkswagen Polo got five stars based on the same criteria.
The Yaris sedan’s protection score will expire on December 31, 2026.
The Toyota Yaris Cross earned five stars in ANCAP’s 2021 crash tests, with category scores of 86% for adult occupant protection, 86% for child protection, 78% for road user protection, and 82% for safety. help technology.
Unlike other competitors whose SUVs are very similar to sedans, namely Kia, Stonic, and Rio, the Yaris Cross underwent a full series of crash tests of its own, which saved prices by presenting insights to show the effects of the sedan’s crash. The tests are applicable to the higher version.
The Yaris was one of the first cars to achieve a five-star score in ANCAP’s rigorous protection tests conducted in 2020, making it one of the longest lists of complex protection features in its class.
All formulas worked well in our tests, without too many beeps or false alarms; For example, the speed sign popularity formula misinterpreted the posted limit.
Eight airbags are also equipped, adding a front center airbag to prevent the front occupants’ heads from hitting each other in the event of a side impact.
The Yaris Cross’s protection package is similar to that of its smaller sibling (down to the number of airbags and the functions of the autonomous emergency braking formula) so that the front and low cameras reach the sedan’s rear angle of view.
The build performed well in our tests, with no false activations and too many beeps and bongs.
The Toyota Yaris is covered by a five-year/unlimited mileage warranty for the vehicle and its hybrid battery for personal buyers, or a five-year/160,000-kilometer warranty for cars used for “commercial” purposes, such as taxis or ridesharing.
If buyers meet the schedule indexed in the logbook, Toyota will extend the warranty on the gasoline engine, hybrid parts and transmission to seven years/unlimited kilometers, and up to 10 years/unlimited kilometers for the hybrid battery if inspected annually. a Toyota dealership.
Maintenance is required every 12 months or 15,000 km, and the first five are capped at $245, or $735 over three years/45,000 km, or $1,225 over five years/75,000 km.
It’s the cheapest in the city car category: over five years/75,000 km, a VW Polo costs $3,095, a Mazda 2 costs $2,116, and a Skoda Fabia costs $3,031, while over five years/50,000 km (due to a shorter lead time 12 months/10,000 km), a Suzuki Swift Sport costs $2,005, and an MG 3 costs $1,445.
One-year comprehensive insurance from a leading provider is estimated at $1,505, based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old driver living in Chatswood, New South Wales. Insurance estimates will likely vary depending on your location, driving record, and non-public circumstances.
It’s more expensive than its competitors, which, according to the same insurance calculator, cost $1,333 for a VW Polo Style, $1,123 for a Mazda 2 G15 GT, $1,403 for a Suzuki Swift Sport, and $1,508 for a Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo Edition 150.
The Yaris Cross is covered by the same five-year/unlimited-mileage warranty and 12-month/15,000-km service periods as the sedan, but each of the first five installations is more expensive: $250, or $1,250 over five years/$75,000. km.
It’s still less expensive than its urban competitors and small SUVs, which in five years/75,000 km charge $2,118 for a Mazda CX-3, $3,080 for a Volkswagen T-Cross, $3,107 for a Skoda Kamiq, $2,265 for a Suzuki Jimny, and $2,535. For a Hyundai Kona Hybrid, while for more than five years/50,000 km, due to shorter periods, a turbocharged Kia Stonic costs $2,173, while a gasoline MG ZST is priced at $1,708.
Only a Honda HR-V is cheaper: $995 for years or 50,000 miles of scheduled maintenance.
One-year comprehensive insurance from a leading provider is estimated at $1,548, based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old driver living in Chatswood, New South Wales. Insurance estimates will likely vary depending on your location, driving record, and non-public circumstances.
It’s more expensive than its main competitors, which, using the same insurance calculator, cost $1,270 for a Mazda CX-3 Touring SP, $1,317 for a VW T-Cross Style, $1,369 for a Kia Stonic GT-Line, and $1,454 for a Suzuki. Jimny XL: A gas-powered MG ZST is priced at US$1,564.
That’s a good thing, because the Yaris hatchback is Australia’s most fuel-efficient new car and you don’t want to be plugged in: with a claimed fuel consumption of 3. 3 litres consistent with 100 kilometres in combined driving, just 2. 8 L/100 km in the city. in urban driving, or 3. 6 l/hundred km in urban driving. One hundred kilometres by extra-urban motorway and motorway.
Over the course of a week of testing, and a 60/40 split between city and highway driving, we observed 4. 1 L/100 km according to the on-board computer, which is rarely the economy less than the promised 4. 0 L/100 km. through Toyota, but it’s perfect for a city car.
On a 140 km control circuit (usually made up of high-speed roads and some motorways), for this comparison, we observed 3. 6 L/100 km, which is in line with Toyota’s claim on the road. At times, fuel consumption was noted to drop to the lower limit of 3. 0 L/100 km.
The Yaris uses the cheapest 91-octane normal unleaded fuel blend and although its 36-litre fuel tank is small, it is capable of going 1,090 km according to Toyota’s claim, or 878 km according to our observations.
Toyota claims that fuel consumption for all Yaris Cross two-wheel-drive hybrid SUVs is 3. 8 L/100 km in combined conditions, 3. 3 L/100 km in urban spaces, and 4. 2 L/100 km in extra-urban and highway driving.
During a week of testing, we observed a fuel consumption of 5. 1 l/100 km according to the on-board computer, with a 60:40 split between city and highway driving.
On the same 140 km comparative circuit as the hatchback, the on-board computer showed 4. 5 L/100 km.
The fuel tank can hold the same 36 litres as the Yaris hatchback, but the SUV’s superior fuel consumption means it has a range of 947km according to Toyota’s claim in combined conditions, or 706km on our one-week average.
The Toyota Yaris is comfortable and easy to drive, with no behaviors for the driver to adapt to, but at just 85 kW thanks to its 1. 5-liter three-cylinder hybrid system, it’s not a rocket.
The car starts quietly and moves away from sleep mode by up to about 30 km/h, depending on the driver’s enthusiasm with the accelerator pedal.
It looks cheerful at low speeds on electric power and at suburban speeds with gasoline and electric power running together, but it can struggle to accelerate up to highway speed, accompanied by a lot of noise, as the transmission helps keep the engine at optimal revs. maximum strength.
The suspension commendably absorbs bumps, bumps, and expansion joints on the road, given the ZR’s 16-inch wheels that are larger than the tires on less expensive models, it doesn’t smooth out any and all bumps and the driving force stays up to the task. date with what’s going on. what’s happening on the road.
Steering is smooth and accurate in the city, and the narrow turning radius of 10. 2 meters (combined with front and rear parking sensors, but only with a low-resolution rearview camera) makes parking easy.
On a winding road, the Yaris is gentle, nimble and doesn’t feel overwhelmed, even if the steering is too smooth to motivate confidence at higher speeds and, of course, the engine doesn’t deliver power, such as performance.
On the motorway, noises from outside are kept out of the passenger compartment all over the world – with the exception of a slight roar of the tyres on the coarsely chipped surfaces due to the Bridgestone Ecopia rubber (185/55 R16) – the engine becomes noisy if the driving force presses the foot to pass.
Toyota has been making hybrids for more than 25 years, so it has mastered the combination between the regenerative braking of the electric motor and traditional front and rear drum disc brakes; Previous tests conducted by Drive have found the emergency braking functionality to be inadequate compared to its rivals.
The usual underpinnings (and the same 1. 5-litre three-cylinder engine and hybrid formula) of the Yaris Cross mean it’s similar, if not the same in handling, compared to its hatchback sibling.
With a taller frame and an extra 85kg to carry, the Yaris Cross doesn’t look as cheerful as the sedan, as it uses more of its engine to accelerate to suburban speeds and runs even harder (and noisier) to reach dual carriageway speeds. .
The play suspension, located 10mm lower, makes adjustments to key parts such as the springs for greater handling. The frame is also stiffer thanks to additional reinforcements.
This is a firmer feel on speed bumps and bumps. The small road undulations that the Yaris Hatchback mitigates, especially at top speeds on a country road, are clearly felt through the occupants of the Yaris Cross.
It’s not too hard to live with, though, buyers who see comfort of bumps as the most sensible priority (and still need a Yaris Cross) will benefit best from less expensive GXL styling with 16-inch wheels and a less stiff suspension.
However, the sportier suspension will pay off on a winding road, where, unlike the norm, where hatchbacks sometimes take more care than their SUV rivals, the Yaris Cross GR Sport is more fun to drive than the Yaris ZR hatchback.
While it transmits minor road imperfections to the cabin, the gaming suspension makes the Cross quieter and more solid on road undulations at high speeds, it’s itching for cornering, and there’s not too much frame roll.
The guide is heavier than the Yaris hatchback, so it inspires more confidence at top speeds and in corners, without being too heavy to make parking in the city a chore.
The Falken Azenis FR510 SUV (215/50 R18) tyres are more than up to the task, unless you push the Yaris Cross to the limit of its handling.
The Yaris Cross is supplied with rear disc brakes, right down to the sedan’s drums, but previous tests via Drive have shown that it can reach 100 km/h over distances as disappointing, if not more, than the Yaris hatchback, likely in component due to its extra weight.
It’s not perfect, though. At highway speeds, there’s more tire roar and wind noise than in the hatchback, and visibility through the rear window is rarely as smart because of the giant headrests – it’s greater at the front and sides thanks to the giant windows and a top. Cockpit.
The Toyota Yaris is designed for towing.
While other Yaris Cross models can tow up to 400kg, with or without brakes, the GR Sport is designed for towing.
We understand that many readers will probably already know which car is the best. Some buyers prefer a superior driving position or want the area to be compatible with the shape of a sleek SUV, while others wouldn’t get stuck in that position.
If you’re not sure, it’s a complicated scenario (as the scores show) and depends on your priorities.
The Yaris sedan is less expensive to buy, feels more fun on the road, consumes less fuel, and is therefore more comfortable in the city.
However, the Yaris Cross is more spacious inside, has a larger boot, and feels safer on the road.
Ultimately, it all comes down to your preference: the Yaris Cross’s superior seating position and more spacious interior, or the Yaris Hatchback’s smaller size, higher fuel power, and more powerful equation.
For our money, it’s the sedan that gets the upper hand.
This ZR Hybrid style is valuable if your budget stretches that far, although, aside from blind-spot tracking and rear cross-traffic alert, the less expensive SX Hybrid variant, costing around $3,000, doesn’t lack many must-have features.
The extra $2,000 Toyota charges for the hybrid formula over the regular gasoline model is due to its lower fuel consumption.
Toyota says it aims to reduce wait times to between four and six months by mid-2024. The exact wait will depend on the dealership you’re purchasing, where you’re in the dealership’s order queue, and the quality of the model you like. and color.
To contact a Toyota broker for more accurate estimates on delivery times, click here to go to your nearest showroom. You can also sell Toyota cars on Drive. com. au/cars-for-sale.
We also introduced a Volkswagen Polo, which at Life Form was just crowned the 2024 Best City Car of the Year for under $30,000.
If you need to keep up to date with everything that has happened to this car since we tested it, find all the news about the Yaris here.
While the GR Sport stands out in the Yaris Cross lineup for its sportier driving experience, the GXL costs $3,000 less and is arguably a better choice for buyers who prioritize comfort over handling.
As stated above, Toyota says it aims to expect wait times for popular models of between 4 and six months until mid-2024.
We also pick up the Ford Puma, which is at the end of its career and about to be abandoned, but which has already won the Drive Car of the Year award.
Journalist