Toyota Yaris Cross hybrid test: he understood everything

[Mise à jour le 25/08/2021] Renault and Toyota are not letting go. In 2020, the Clio Hybrid made its grand premiere, followed closely by the new Yaris Hybrid. Rebelote in 2021: the new Captur hybrid is barely in dealerships than the Yaris Cross hybrid is already pointing its nose with a launch scheduled for September. This new model allows Toyota to return to the very buoyant market for small SUVs after the failure of the Urban Cruiser ten years ago.

This time, it is optimism that reigns at Toyota France, which aims to sell 30,000 Yaris Cross in a full year to enter the top 5 of the small SUV segment. Optimism justified: the SUV intends to ride on the success of the Yaris sedan, it arrives in a buoyant commercial environment (Toyota sales accelerate faster than the market in 2021) and it offers hybrid technology increasingly sought after.

Designed on Toyota’s GA-B platform which is already used for the Yaris city car, the Cross version benefits from dimensions close to those of the Renault Captur (length of 4.18 m and height of 1.56 m). The design adopts the robust look sought after by SUV enthusiasts, and there is a 4 x 4 version made possible by the installation of a second electric motor on the rear axle. This proposal, called AWD-i, makes it possible to have all-wheel drive up to 70 km / h to get out of a misstep. Like the city-dweller, the Yaris Cross is made in France, in Valenciennes, where the Toyota plant has expanded for the occasion.

Toyota Yaris Cross price

The Yaris Cross is available as a single 116 hp hybrid engine with a CVT-type automatic transmission. Prices are between € 25,500 and € 34,500 depending on the version. Not given to access the most equipped version … (see details on next page). The core range will be around € 30,000 for the Collection version, both modern in terms of equipment (head-up display, blind spot warning devices), attractive (twin-toned bodywork) and practical (40-20-40 folding bench seat). Anyway, Toyota does not give freebies on prices if we compare them with those of the Renault Captur Hybrid E-Tech 145. Toyota France estimates that 30% of purchase orders will go to the 4 x 4 version, invoiced € 2,000 more.

Driving

The Yaris Cross benefits from a ground clearance raised by 3 cm compared to the sedan. Not enough to make him a real franchiser, but that is enough to change the perception behind the wheel with a point of view a little higher. The environment is similar to that of the Yaris with a nice steering wheel to take in hand and a view of meters which are hardly modern in appearance but easily readable. To take into account the raised center of gravity of this SUV version and avoid body roll, Toyota has modified the running gear by adopting a new combined spring-shock absorbers, a 29% stiffer rear torsion axle and a stiffer front torsion bar. Note that the 4 x 4 version, which we will try later, takes advantage of a multi-link rear axle to free up space for the electric motor.

The suspension a little less flexible that of the sedan is felt especially at low speeds with reactions a little dry on the bleeds of the road. We will have to test a version with a smaller tire size than our low-rise tires in 215 / 50R18 to form a final opinion on comfort. On the road, the suspension does not lend itself to criticism and the body movements are well controlled. The steering is calibrated less directly than that of the Yaris, and this confirms the general feeling: the Cross version is less agile to drive than the sedan. Disappointment concerning the noise level on board with nascent air noises from 120 km / h and rolling noises a little too present. The wheel arches would have deserved better caulking.

The Yaris Cross takes over the sedan’s hybrid group, consisting of a 92 hp three-cylinder petrol engine and an 80 electric motor. ch which acts as a backup or alone (often alone in town). The set is calibrated at 116 hp in combined power. It’s not huge, but the Yaris Cross is doing well in performance thanks to its mass which remains under 1200 kg in 4 x 2. Japanese is the king of the city and of the intra-urban roads thanks to its fluid mechanics, even if restarting the heat engine is sometimes too noticeable and vibrating. On this point, the small SUV does not do as well as the Corolla sedan.

The mechanics show enthusiasm on the road and on expressways, but you have to accept the typical operation of the CVT gearbox which packs the heat engine during the most marked requests. Toyota has, however, contained the phenomenon well since its first hybrids. Above all, this technology makes it possible to display low consumption, which is the brand’s hobbyhorse. The Yaris Cross thus advances approved values ​​between 4.3 and 5.1 l / 100 km according to its level of equipment that it is easy to reproduce in town and on the road. The CO rate₂ evolves between 102 and 112 g / km, a good distance from the severe penalty in France.

In the cockpit

Between the furniture of the Yaris Cross and that of the city car Yaris, it is the game of seven errors. It should be noted above all that the SUV receives a 7-inch screen for the meters from the Collection livery and a black lacquered covering at the level of the air conditioning unit. The finish is correctly executed, and the materials are of good quality. But the presentation is too dark and serious to make people smile. Good point for the ergonomics of the driving position, however, with dedicated air conditioning controls and easy-to-access storage, positioned between the seats and at the foot of the console. The touch screen benefits from a new multimedia interface more modern than what Toyota offered until now (it’s not complicated …) and it will later benefit the Yaris city car. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connections are available on all versions.

If the front cell changes little compared to the sedan, there are notable developments at the rear. The passengers in the bench benefit from more headroom, a carefully hollowed out backrest for comfort and a footwell to extend the legs. A third passenger will not be welcome given the smallness of the place, but the competition does not offer better on this point. The most important change is in the loading. Thanks to the extended rear overhang of 18 cm, the trunk reaches 397 l, it is enough to carry the luggage of a young family. Note that the 4 x 4 version sees this volume drop by 70 l given the presence of the electric motor under the floor. Toyota has brought a bit of modularity to the package starting with the Collection trim with the three-part 40-20-40 bench backrest and the two-part dual-level floor. As for the flexible luggage cover, it is a bit DIY but has the merit of folding to store if you do not use it.

Competetion

It is first of all in its own family that the Yaris Cross sees a rival rise up, with the C-HR well established on the market. Larger (4.36 m) and offering hybrid engines up to 180 hp, however, the C-HR is more expensive with a starting price set at € 29,800 for the 122h version. As mentioned above, the competition will come from the new Renault Captur hybrid E-Tech, more powerful (145 hp) and better positioned in price (€ 29,700 in Intens compared to € 30,500 from the Yaris Cross Collection). The competition will also be Korean, since the Kona is available as a hybrid. It was also the first in this category (read the Captur Hybrid vs Kona Hybrid comparison). The other stars of the segment that are the Citroën C3 Aircross, Ford Puma and Peugeot 2008 have all missed the turn of the simple hybrid, yet relevant at this level of the range.