Toyota made a statement in recent weeks with the latest Aygo sporting a fresh new 'fun' look. Now they are out to capitalise on that success by re-styling the Aygo's bigger sibling in the same vein: the 2014 Toyota Yaris.
The exterior design for the new Yaris features the 'X-pattern' frontal design that defines the cars character lines. Inside the Yaris there are some much improved materials and new seats, which in my test model looked great in dark grey and red stitching. The main facia of the dashboard is noticeably better, as is the inset panel of the front doors.
Interior space, one of the Yaris's strong points, is as good as ever. Four adults can be transported in relative comfort thanks to decent rear space and firm comfortable seating. The boot too is of a sufficient size with 286 litres of space, probably in the larger end of the scale for this category. Interior equipment is also good with power outlet and USB ports in a very convenient central location. The highlight and main focus once inside the car is an improved and larger central colour multimedia screen incorporating a useful reversing camera and Bluetooth connections amongst other features like GPS.
Powering the new Yaris range are a range of engines. At the entry point there is a new three-cylinder 68bhp 1.0-litre that is also present in the recently launched Aygo. The engine on my test car, in its sportove guise, was a revised version of the 98bhp 1.3.
The Yaris 1.3 feels quite zippy around town but would welcome some extra punch for overtaking on the faster roads. It feels perfectly matched to the 6-speed manual gearbox, steering feels light and responsive and the car is easy to move around urban traffic. It is stable and sure footed even on our country roads and when cornering fast. This new Toyota Yaris is fun to drive and the brakes are impressive with 4 discs all round on my test model. The Yaris is much improved and if you're a Toyota fan then the changes are very welcome.
For more information on the new Toyota Yaris and the Toyota line-up visit the Toyota showroom situated in Mdina Road Zebbug, log on the Toyota Malta Facebook page, or call on 2269 4000.