The latest Toyota Yaris offers customers the option of a more powerful 129bhp/96kW full hybrid electric powertrain, in addition to the established 114bhp/85kW system.
This reaps the benefits of fifth generation Toyota hybrid technology to give sharper acceleration, allied to the car’s fundamentally nimble character.
It’s the kind of performance profile that’s increasingly a priority for B-segment customers, particularly those looking to downsize their choice of vehicle. And with a new “dual hybrid” product strategy, Toyota is widening Yaris’s appeal in a critical area: hybrid is the top purchase consideration for most buyers.
The 1.5-litre full hybrid electric system has a great track record, founded on leading fuel and emissions efficiency and its ability to go further and for longer in all-electric EV mode. These qualities are maintained and re-engineered for increased output.
The key change is the introduction of a new hybrid transaxle with a more powerful electric motor-generator (output up from 59kW to 62kW), together with adjustments to the software and hardware in the power control unit (PCU).
The result is a 12 per cent uplift in total system output, from 114bhp (116 DIN hp/85kW) to 129bhp (130 DIN hp/96kW). It’s not just about headline power: there is more muscle, too, with maximum torque from the MG2 electric motor increased by 30 per cent, from 141Nm to 185Nm, available across the entire rev range.
This translates to faster acceleration, half a second quicker to bring the 0-62mph benchmark down to 9.2 seconds. Similarly, there’s more rapid performance at overtaking speeds, with 50-75mph accomplished in 7.5 seconds.
Toyota’s long-standing experience of hybrid technology ensures that the CO2 emissions remains best-in-class at 96 – 98g/km while fuel consumption is only marginally different, at 65.4 – 67.3mpg (WLTP combined cycle data).
Fuel economy is further enhanced with features such as the Predictive State of Charge Control for downhill and congestion driving conditions by using a combination of data from the navigation system to ensure the battery charge level maximises EV driving to enhance fuel efficiency depending on route, traffic, and gradient.
The new powertrain is standard in the new Yaris Premiere Edition and GR Sport models.
Prices across the revised range are: