Toyota Yaris

UMW Toyota Motor has launched the Toyota Yaris with three variants in total, which all have gotten a sporty exterior upgrade which makes it a little more fun to drive. The price for the base variant 1.5J is RM 70,940, second-tier 1.5E is RM 80, 380 and the highest variant 1.5G is priced at RM 84,808.

If you’re looking for a new car and tilting towards the B-segment of cars, then the Toyota Yaris 1.5G is a vehicle to consider. Apart from having an improved sporty outlook, the Toyota Yaris 1.5G comes with a healthy amount of safety features too.

The design is upgraded with a modern and sleek all-black dashboard layout. Exclusive to the Yaris 1.5G variant is the leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear shift knob. Apart from that the air-conditioning system is fully automated and digitized.

The Toyota Yaris 1.5G gets an Optitron instrument meter panel, which incorporates a 4.2-inch full-colour Multi-Information Display (MID). The MID system shows important vehicle information clearly and welcomes you back every time you start your engine. 

The seats get manual adjustments. It is finished in an all-black fabric upholstery and gets blue stitching details as a finishing touch. 

Space for 3 occupants in the rear is slightly tight if they are all big sized people but Toyota has given the car a flat floor, so the transmission tunnel won’t squeeze the middle passenger’s feet. In the front, the occupants will be very comfortable as there is ample elbow and leg space.

It has a decent size glove compartment which can fit medium sized items, it also gets a few small sized compartments in the centre console which has good partition design to store all your needs and other digital devices.  

There are 2 cup holders, located in the front centre console. As for bottle holders, it has 4 with each one located on every door’s side panels. 

The Toyota Yaris 1.5G has a 12V socket and two USB ports for powering or recharging multiple devices at the same time.

It has 286 litres of boot space and split-folding rear seats that drop to increase the total boot space to 768 litres. Space-wise it proves to be quite generous for a compact hatchback. 

The measurements are 4,425 mm length, 1,730 mm width, 1,495 mm height, and weighs 1,115 kg with a wheelbase spanning 2,550 mm.

The Toyota Yaris 1.5G gets introduced with a new front bumper, which provides the vehicle with a bolder and wider visual stance. The grille and the lower intake gets a gloss black finish and are now fused into one, giving it a full-face grille-like outlook. The bumper is further enhanced with a couple of slit-shaped fog lamps on both ends that seems to stand out.

The rear of the car exhibits a bulbous like outlook. The rear lights are connected by a chrome bar with a Toyota badge in the middle and it gets a black sporty diffuser that is paired with rectangular shaped LED fog lights. To finish the look, the Yaris 1.5G gets a roof edge spoiler that really enhances the styling of the vehicle.  

Fitted with LED units, paired with LED daytime running lights and comes with auto headlamp function, which is in a slim and pointy design giving it a meaner and more focused look. 

The tail lamps are LED units and are in a diamond-like shape which adds on to the whole athletic stance of the vehicle. 

It is power adjusted and power folded, with turn-indicator and blind-spot warning indicators.

Equipped on the Yaris 1.5G is the two-tone metallic and matte silver stepped spokes blade 16-inch alloy rims and paired with 195/50 tyres.

The Toyota Yaris 1.5G has the new Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) which features Pre-collision system (PCS), Autonomous emergency braking (AEB), L alert (LDA), 3D panoramic view monitor (PVM), Blind spot monitor (BSM), Rear cross traffic alert (RCTA), Front digital video recorder, Vehicle Telematics System (VTS), EBD, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and traction control, anti-lock braking system, brake assist, hill start assist, and emergency stop signal.

Passive safety includes seven airbags (dual front, front side and curtain and driver knee). It also has front and rear parking sensors, rear ISOFIX, seatbelt warning and pre-tensioners.  

2 drive modes – Sport and Eco

With the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) system, the driving experience is much safer. 

Features a 7-inch touchscreen head unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also gets Bluetooth mirroring, DVD-AVX system, integrated 2DIN audio and voice control. 

The Yaris 1.5G is powered by a 1.5-litre, 2NR-FE 4-cylinder DOHC with Dual VVT-I engine that has a max power of 107 hp at 6,000 rpm and a max torque of 140 Nm at 4,200 rpm. 

Installed with a CVT 7-speed Sport Sequential Shiftmatic transmission.

Power is sent to its front wheels.

The Yaris 1.5G can go from 0-100 km/h in 11 seconds and hit a top speed of 175 km/h. 

The Yaris 1.5G has a fuel tank capacity of 42 litres and a fuel consumption of 7 litres for every 100 km. 

It has keyless-entry with push-to-start button, automatic climate control, automatic headlamps, on-board computer, electrochromic rear view mirror, multi-function steering wheel, remote trunk opener, glove box cooling and a wireless charger. 

The seats are comfortable with ample space and the handling ability is quite responsive with its slightly weighted steering. The power its engine produces is more than enough for a compact hatchback. 

It has a good sound insulation, its road noise is mostly muted with the overall NVH aspect improvements.

In terms of looks, the sporty overall design of the car is a good upgrade and will cater more towards the younger generations.

Alongside with its abundant amount of safety features, the fully digitalized instrument cluster and infotainment system, for a B-segment car it proves to be a vehicle that will enhance the driving experience to another level. 

Those who frequently travel to outstation may save more fuel with its eco mode while still being able to go fast with the CVT 7-speed Sport Sequential Shiftmatic transmission.