The era of small crossovers is still at the top of its game, and the Toyota Yaris Cross 2024 is no exception, but rather a confirmation of this. It offers all the advantages of a mini hatch along with increased visibility, more practical seating, improved economy, and now a more driving character.
Toyota Yaris Cross was launched four years ago and immediately became a hit in the European market, at least for the brand. More than 180 thousand units were sold in Europe in 2023 alone. The figures are among the best even among the general segment of crossovers, which, in principle, fly out of showrooms faster than Marvel has time to shoot the next superhero sequel.
I have long wanted to get acquainted with this improved hatchback, as it can be called. It’s like a small and comfortable Yaris, but better. It also looks quite different, as if it were a half-brother rather than a sibling. They also have a lot in common: a single TNGA-B platform and a single branded hybrid powertrain. And I just got a freshened up cross-hatch that has new arguments to win over fans.
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Updates bring freshness to the existing generation, but they are not always noticeable. Toyota is usually a little late, or maybe it’s their strategy. In any case, this time they added only extremely important and essential details. A decisive stance along with the fact that competitors have recently been quite noticeably updated: Renault Captur, Peugeot 2008, Nissan Juke, and the Jeep Avenger has also entered the market. So the segment is quite saturated, and the competition will be interesting.
You won’t find any changes on the outside. Everything is concentrated in the depths. A more powerful electric motor, an improved cabin atmosphere and an expanded list of safety systems.
Against the background of all competitors, Toyota’s proprietary hybrid system gives each of their models a big head start, and the Yaris Cross is no exception. Therefore, the emphasis was placed on pumping the power unit. Previously, this crossover was available with a 1.5-liter gasoline engine (125 hp) and a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 116 hp, but now there is no longer an internal combustion engine. A 130-horsepower version has appeared in the offer, which will be available in the last two trims: Elegant and Adventure. And the prices will range from $33,201 (1,368,180 UAH) to $34,546 (1,423,620 UAH). This is an interesting difference, given that the crossover starts at $25,753 (1,061,280 UAH).
Even more interesting is that technically it is the same atmospheric engine (M15A-FXE) with 92 hp and 120 Nm of torque, but the electric motor has become more powerful and produces 84 hp instead of 80 hp. And the battery, which is located under the seats, has not become more capacious and remained at the level of 0.76 kWh. Therefore, the possibility of driving on electricity has not increased either. But in terms of dynamics, the Yaris Cross has gained almost a second in acceleration: 10.7 seconds versus 11.2 seconds.
The Lexus LBX is worth mentioning, which we have recently testedThe same more powerful electric motor is installed there, but even more power has been squeezed out of it. The premium small crossover has as much as 136 hp, and the battery is more than 1 kWh. In addition, the LBX has much less vibration and noise from the three-cylinder engine than our Yaris Cross.
The performance is certainly not impressive, but it feels like the little balloon has become much more agile. It jumps out at the call of the accelerator. And let the engine roar and loudly cheer you on. You can get used to its roar if you like fun starts. But for the most part, you’ll need this kind of cheerfulness when you’re late for a meeting held by partners across town. It is at this moment that the whole essence of the compact is revealed. This rather nimble car slips into narrow gaps, easily fits into parking lots, and maneuvers briskly between less nimble SUVs.
Thanks to the electric motor, acceleration is instantaneous and linear. As we know, Toyota’s parallel hybrid allows two powertrains to work together, either alternately or together. This allows not only to deliver all the power to the hill, but also to save fuel because the Yaris Cross consumes about 5.4 liters per 100 km during dynamic city driving. If you drive more economically, you can even drop to 3.8 liters. It’s a nice feeling. Recuperation adds its share of energy, but only to power the battery.
On the highway, this little crossover holds its own until a huge truck passes by, which can make the baby squeal a little like a frightened horse. Of course, the lifted hatchback will have much more sail than its brother. And its dimensions are larger, both in length and in height: the body was stretched for balance and the ground clearance was raised to 170 mm (135 mm in the hatchback). But the chassis configuration remains the same. Therefore, the load on it will be slightly higher, which means that the resource should be monitored more closely.
The suspension is standard for this class: independent spring in front with MacPherson struts and stabilizers, and semi-dependent with a torsion bar in the rear. Of course, for comfort, softer settings were made here, and the back seat will not be tossed and shaken, but a side effect was swaying in the corners during maneuvering and a rather sensitive breakdown of the suspension on bumps.
It’s nice that the steering wheel is sharp enough to control the car’s behavior and prevent dangerous rolls. Suddenly, you can easily drive around a pothole with two steering wheel movements. But sometimes you can feel it when the systems are activated, keeping the car on the road. At such moments, you catch yourself a little, remembering that this crossover is actually a modest city car for businesswomen. For some reason, this is the image I have of myself as a Yaris Cross owner. Although it will suit a serious man, a young hipster, a pensioner, and a mother with two children.
The main thing is that the interior, although it does not boast a record capacity, is not cramped. They finally learned how to make small cars with decent interiors. I remember the Lexus UX, where it was very difficult to turn around, you were squeezed from all sides, even in the driver’s seat. Now everything is even more spacious. There are wide, comfortable seats, an oversized armrest, and a lowered center tunnel, and the front console is raised up so as not to interfere with the legs. It seems that even a tall man can sit comfortably here.
Adjustments in a wide range are allowed, though they will be mechanical, but somehow it does not interfere. The handlebars can also be adjusted in height and reach. Every button and knob is easy to reach, and there are plenty of niches for small items. Only a half-liter bottle or a baby bottle will fit in the door pockets, so you have to remember that, but in general, the cards look unusual and original.
It is in the interior that you can notice another update — the central monitor, which has increased in size to 10.5 inches, and the digital instrument panel, which has grown to 12.3 inches. The central air deflectors have also changed, somehow even improving the overall architecture of the front torpedo. This is the only advantage of the last three trim levels; the first two will have a 9-inch monitor and a 7-inch digital instrument cluster.
Only two adults or even a child will be able to sit comfortably in the back. The third will be too tight. There will be no air deflectors or even charging ports. The passage to the rear row is spacious, but the rear pillar prevents you from sitting down, so you need to be careful. And you won’t immediately notice that the middle part of the sofa is lowered and opens access to the luggage compartment from the cabin, while creating a table with cupholders, which is very convenient. Another plus is in the transportation of long items that can be easily placed inside and do not take up extra seating space.
The luggage compartment does not shine with a volume of only 390 liters, which is not very impressive compared to the trunk of the Renault Captur with its 536 liters of volume. But they compensated for this with various possible rearrangements of the space itself. Starting with a thin trunk curtain, which definitely takes up less space and performs its function as a cover, and ending with a two-level floor, which can be solid or consist of two 40/60 zones. And at the very bottom there is a spare tire and tools. Only Skoda Kamiq has more organizers.
The update also brought changes to the Toyota Yaris Cross equipment. Adaptive cruise is now available from the start, along with a whole host of active safety systems: Proactive Driving Assist, Lane Keeping and Tracking, Active Cornering Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition and Information, «Blind Spot Monitoring, and others. This directly increases the chances of winning the hearts of mothers who are always distracted by children while driving.
LED optics will be available only from the third trim level, as well as dual-zone climate control and keyless entry and start. And the projection on the windshield with information about speed, adaptive cruise and duplication of sign recognition remains an advantage of the maximum equipment.
Also, from the start, only a wired smartphone connection will be available here using the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto application, only in the third Lounge will there be a wireless connection, though only for iPhones. And wireless charging is available almost everywhere except for the initial version.
In general, it seems to me that this is one of the safest compacts. The active security systems work so well that sometimes they save you in poor visibility. You may not see, but the sensors react. Just don’t rely on it completely because the system is robotic and can malfunction. However, I have never been able to confuse the assistants here.
Rearview and surround view cameras provide a good image, depending on the configuration. Even small details can be seen, and when parking, the system can even tell you where and when to move. And it will stop you if there are obstacles. However, here it turned out to be too sensitive. When you leave or drive in a place where there are many pedestrians walking around, be prepared for the car to start getting nervous and just stop, reacting to approaching pedestrians.
The release of a small city hatchback model with increased ground clearance could be considered pointless if it were not for the massive craze for various types of SUVs. Even such a baby wins here. It still seems smaller than its rivals, such as Peugeot 2008, Skoda Kamiq, Citroen C3 Aircross, Opel Mokka, VW T-Cross and others. But the Japanese offers greater efficiency, which can only be rivaled by diesels or electric trains, as well as an incredibly fun and easy ride.
One thing I noticed for myself was that with this baby, the task of crossing the entire city during rush hour did not disgust me. You readily grab the keys, get into the Yaris Cross, and drive as fast as you can. You don’t get tired behind the wheel and nothing annoys you while driving. An invaluable quality for a car.
The Yaris Cross deserves the attention of those who are looking for a smart and hassle-free car. That will allow you to get from point to point quickly, will be careful with the owner’s wallet, and will be able to give a little fun driving pleasure when the mood strikes.
PROS: efficiency and effectiveness of the proprietary hybrid system, compactness, sufficient ground clearance, and driving pleasure.
CONS: noisy engine, lack of refinement in the cabin, expensive rich equipment.
| Body, type | SUV |
| Dimensions (LxWxH), mm | 4172/1765/1595 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2560 |
| Declared ground clearance, mm | 170 |
| Trunk volume, liters. | 390/1090 |
| Curb weight, kg | 1295 |
| Engine | 1,5 Dual VVT-i |
| Power, hp. | 92 |
| Torque, Nm | 120 |
| Electric motor power, kW | 84 |
| Type of drive | front |
| Pendant | independent MacPherson/torsion beam |
| Transmission | e-CVT |
| Dynamics 0-100, s | 10,7 |
| Maximum speed, km/h | 170 |
| Fuel consumption, l (mixed) | 3,4-4,3 |
| Cost, UAH | from UAH 1,061,280 |
| The cost of the test car, UAH | 1 423 620 |
| Competitors | Peugeot 2008 |
| Nissan Juke | |
| Jeep Avenger | |
| Renault Captur | |
| Skoda Kamiq |