Toyota’s new Yaris; small version of great security

DUBLIN: Toyota’s new Yaris is a smaller version with greater safety. What makes this little car most attractive is its safety package. The latest generation Yaris has arrived with everything already seen in Toyota’s big hybrid models.

The Yaris is powered by a 1.5 three-cylinder petrol engine. It backs up the battery and motor and delivers 114 horsepower.

Toyota claims that the new Yaris is the safest compact car in the world. It features a Pre-Collision System. The Yaris also offers an Intersection Turn Assistance activation to recognise collision risks with oncoming traffic and pedestrians when making a turn at a crossroads. It is also the first Toyota to be fitted with center airbags to prevent driver and passenger collisions.

The car also has lane recognition assist and emergency steering assist functions. Another feature of the Yaris is the continuous variable transmission system instead of the conventional gearbox. This system offers infinite possibilities over the standard five.

Styling hints from other Toyota family members can be seen on the overall look of the Yaris, especially on the front and back. Inside, the steering wheel is small. The standard infotainment screen is a 7″ one.

For some years now, Toyota vehicles have been spreading the message of ‘democratising safety’. They have done this by introducing a large standard safety package on the smallest car. It is estimated that this will motivate other manufacturers to evaluate their products and take on the same level of responsibility.

The manufacturers claim that this will increase the overall efficiency of the new car by 20%. Performance costs have also increased by 16%. There’s even a 0 to 100 KPH time of 9.7 seconds. The company claims that the fuel efficiency is 3.9 km per 100 km of petrol. But in independent testing, the figure is as high as 5.14.

The starting price of the Yaris is €23,055.