Toyota Yaris hybrid review (06/03/2013)
That Mercedes, Volkswagen (and all its subsidiaries), BMW, PSA (Peugeot/Citroen) and others will unveil hybrid contenders at this month’s Geneva Motor Show illustrates that Toyota’s hybrid success has not gone unnoticed.
The rush to hybrid salvation would be unseemly were it not for the dire straits of the European car business, so Toyota is in the box seats, having sold 2.5m vehicles.
With the Yaris Hybrid, Toyota is set to shake the foundations of the competitive Supermini segment.
The Yaris has always been an excellent Supermini — 60,000 have been sold in Ireland — but I am confident the hybrid will significantly boost Yaris sales here. One fact: fuel consumption of 80 mpg will appeal to a hell of a lot of people.
The Yaris Hybrid is a technical feat: Toyota says the 1,497cc, 16-valve, DOHC Atkinson Cycle petrol engine, with VVT-i, is based on the engine block of the second-generation Prius, but has been re-engineered. It is 50mm shorter and 17kg lighter than the 1.8-litre unit of existing Toyota full-hybrid powertrains, equating to a 10% reduction in length and a 17% reduction in weight.
The new engine generates a maximum 55 kW/74 bhp, at 4,800rpm, and maximum torque of 111Nm, from 3,600 to 4,400rpm. With a focus on lower emissions and the minimisation of mechanical friction for improved fuel efficiency, 70% of engine components are new or redesigned.
Newly adopted engine technologies include a cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, an electric water pump, the elimination of the auxiliary drive belt, a low-friction timing chain, a lightweight, resin-based intake manifold and a compact exhaust manifold.
The Yaris Hybrid will accelerate from 0-100 kph in 11.8 seconds, and to a maximum speed of 165 kph. It delivers an average fuel consumption of just 3.5 l/100km and segment-best CO2 emissions of only 79g/km, while allowing customers frequent driving in modes that emit zero NOx, PM or CO2 emissions. The Yaris Hybrid has a driving range of 1,000km on a single tank of fuel.
Toyota’s hybrid synergy drive system operates in different modes to maximise the Yaris Hybrid’s efficiency. At rest, the engine stops automatically to save fuel. Under operating conditions of low-engine efficiency, such as start-up and low to mid-range speeds, the car runs on the electric motor, eradicating CO2, NOx and PM emissions.
Under normal driving conditions, power allocation is adjusted between engine and electric motor to combine optimum performance with maximum fuel efficiency.
I have chastised most hybrids for being anodyne. In this instance, the driving experience is not as important as it is in many larger cars. The Yaris Hybrid is a city car and that environment best illustrates its abilities. On the open road, it is not so great and acceleration from any speed above 60 kph will disappoint. You have to plan such manoeuvres carefully.
That said, when you are driving around town, the car performs with decent alacrity and you would not
notice how technologically different this thing is.
On the ride and handling front, the Yaris has not been unduly compromised by the extra weight, but this
aspect of the car will not concern too many potential buyers. That it does what is asked of it, without being
impressive or unimpressive, will be of little concern to most prospective owners.
The interior of the car is not ‘normal.’ Blue switchgear, ECO and EV mode buttons, a backlit battery monitor, instead of a rev counter, blue stitching on the steering wheel handbrake and gear stick and an energy monitor screen instantly impart the message that this car is different.
In terms of roominess and passenger comfort, the Yaris is good compared with all of its rivals, and with it being a Toyota you know it will stand up to the rigours of family life.
As regular readers will know, I am not a big fan of these things in general, but the Yaris struck me as being a horse of a different colour and I found it to be a very impressive piece of kit, indeed.
Maybe I’m getting soft, or maybe the sheer petrolhead in me is getting diluted with age, but the sands are definitely shifting here at Examiner Motoring. But there are limitations to the appeal of this car and if you’re looking for something that you can take out of town every now and then, think again.
However, if you need a car primarily for urban work, then this will do nothing other than impress you.
