The B-Segment (compact sedans) in India's car market has been dominated by the likes of the Honda City, Maruti Ciaz and the Hyundai Verna for a while now. At Auto Expo 2018, Toyota unveiled its competitor for India's compact sedan crown in the form of the new Yaris sedan. The Yaris name is derived from Charis, the singular form of Charites, the Greek goddesses of charm and beauty.
So can the graceful new Yaris compete with the Honda City and Maruti Ciaz and take Toyota to the pinnacle of India's compact sedan segment? DriveSpark takes a detailed look at the newly launched Toyota Yaris to find out.
Toyota Yaris Design & Features
In terms of design, the Toyota Yaris follows Toyota's new global design language. The front end features angular headlamp units that feature auto projector headlamps and led parking lights on the inner edge and flank the Toyota badge on either side.
The front bumper unit is dominated by massive blacked-out inserts that stretch across its width. The top section of the inserts sitting under the headlights host the LED daytime running lights while the fog lamps sit on either edge of the front bumper.
The sides of the Toyota Yaris look clean with the chrome door handles being the only distractions. Toyota has raised the ride height of the Yaris for India which combined with the large wheel arches make the 15-inch wheels look rather tiny.
The rear end of the new Toyota Yaris sedan features sleek full-LED taillights that wrap around the edges of the sedan. The roof of the sedan gently curves into the cavernous boot. Also seen on the roof is a shark fin antenna.
The interior of the new Yaris features a mostly beige colour scheme except for the dash which has a dual-tone look with black added in and the cabin itself is quite wide(1,700mm). The steering wheel only features height adjustment which is surprising. Also featured is touchscreen infotainment display with gesture controls for the audio.
The rear seat though is where the real action takes place as there is more than enough space for those sitting behind to sit comfortably with good head and leg room on offer and the 60:40 split rear seat's armrest features two cup holders. However, the Yaris' party trick is the roof-mounted rear AC vents that also feature ambient lighting.
The new Toyota Yaris comes packed with safety features including all-wheel disc brakes, seven airbags, Hill-Start Assist, ABS, EBD and ESP.
Toyota Yaris Specifications & Performance
The Toyota Yaris is powered by the same 2NR-FE 1.5-litre petrol engine that powers the Etios. However, the Yaris engine features dual VVT-i which adjusts timing on both the intake and exhaust camshafts. The addition of the dual VVT-i means that the Yaris' engine produces 105.5bhp and 140Nm of torque, an increase of 15.5bhp and 8Nm over the Etios.
The Yaris' engine is paired to either a 6-speed manual or a CVT automatic gearbox, the latter of which is expected to be quite popular among those who prefer to drive themselves around the city instead of sitting in the back seat.
Toyota has raised the ride height of the Yaris by 20mm to 153mm. This has been done to ensure that the new Yaris survives India's rough and tumble roads.
Toyota Yaris Expected Price & Launch Date
Toyota is expected to get very aggressive with the Yaris' price tag as it looks to take on the City and Ciaz without a diesel option in sight. We expect prices for the new Toyota Yaris to start at Rs 8.5 lakh when it is launched in around two months time.
DriveSpark's Thoughts On The New Toyota Yaris
The New Yaris may not be the best looking sedan in its class but it comes with a host of features and Toyota's reliability that will make it very hard for Indian customers to ignore at a glance. We expect the new Yaris to give the Honda City and the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz a run for the money when it does arrive in around 8 weeks time on Indian roads. Expect a more detailed review about the new Toyota Yaris when we get behind the wheel.
