Toyota recently joined the C-Segment sedan category with
their Yaris. Post its launch we got to spend some time with the top end CVT
variant. Here are the things that we liked about the car and the things that we
did not.
5 THINGS WE LIKE
IN THE TOYOTA YARIS
1) Smooth drive with paddle shift
The 1.5L Dual VVT-i petrol engine on the Yaris mated to a 7
speed CVT-i transmission delivers a mature performance and you get a linear
acceleration. It might not be an enthusiast’s car but it is a great car to
drive on city roads riddled with traffic. However, the Yaris does come with the
ability to shift manually and you can even get paddle shift in the top variant
which will surely spice things up.
2) Intelligent 2nd row cooling
The second row passengers get a rather fancy looking cooling
system bolted on the roof. These are not conventional AC vents, rather they are
blowers which cleverly take the ambient cold air from the cabin and blow it out
at an accelerated speed. Thankfully that works all too well in practice and you
can divert the air flow using the large louvers. The controllable blue illumination
is just icing on the cake.
3) Gestures controls
The touch screen infotainment system works great and has a
smooth operation but Toyota went one step further and added gesture support
which is commonly seen on hi-end vehicles. You can use these to control the
volume, change the track/radio station, navigate through the map and more.
These can be really helpful once you get used to them as they let you keep your
eyes on the road.
4) Unmatched safety with 7 airbags
Toyota has not cut corners in terms of safety as the Yaris
gets 7 airbags as standard. So, no matter which trim you buy, the occupants
inside will be safe in case of an accident. The addition of disc brakes on all
four wheels is another feature that will give you peace of mind.
5) Comfortable suspension
Taking the Yaris over some broken paths and potholes made us
realise how supple the suspension was. It is almost perfect and perhaps the
most comfortable for occupants when compared to other sedans in the segment.
This only strengthens the Yaris’ appeal as a luxurious ride that people would
want to be driven around in.
5 THINGS WE DID
NOT LIKE IN THE TOYOTA YARIS
1) Manually operated ORVMs
Since this is a premium product, I was expecting that it
would at least get auto closing and opening ORVMs but I was disappointed. You
will have to use a button found on the driver side door to do the same.
2) Misplaced center armrest
The center armrest found in the Yaris has been placed rather
oddly. It is a bit too far back for the driver and co-passenger and will require
some getting used to. The fact that it is not movable is another downer. The
armrest also intrudes a little too much in the second row. As a result, someone
seated in the middle will be a little uncomfortable despite the floor being
completely flat.
3) Limited 2nd row headroom
Despite the Yaris have a decent amount of space in the
second row, the headroom available is not ideal. If you are 5’10” tall or less
than that, then the headroom won’t be a problem but for a 6 foot tall person it
is not enough. While seated in an
upright position, I had to bend my neck and my head was still touching the
roof.
4) Dead pedal missing
Being an automatic vehicle and costing a pretty penny, we
were expecting to see a dead pedal but were disappointed. The lack of a dead
pedal might not bother some but we did miss it and the lump in place of the
dead pedal only made things a little bit uncomfortable for the left foot.
5) Steering wheel
The steering wheel on the Yaris is adjustable for tilt but
not for reach. This is another small feature that we expected to see in a car
of this class but was not included.