2020 Toyota Yaris Cross: Compact crossover with big surprises
Jump inside the Toyota Yaris Cross and you will meet a homely feeling of the new Toyota design. Our test mule had an electric motor for the rear wheel making it an ‘E-Four Wheel Drive’
The Toyota Yaris is a name that conjures an image of a small hatchback which has proved to be reliable over the years. The Yaris cross, however, is a new contender in the compact SUV market.
Launched in 2020, the model is a slightly larger variant of the regular Yaris.
The Yaris Cross sits between the Raize and the CH-R in Toyota's crossover lineup. Priced similarly to a CH-R, it edges that model out with its 1500cc engine (one of the surprises), which translates to a lower Annual Income Tax (AIT) than the 1800cc CH-R.
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At first glance, the Cross looks very angular, almost resembling an electric vehicle (EV), especially like Toyota's EV counterpart itself- the B4ZX. The front fascia retains a lot of polygonal action with vertically mounted DRLs.
The rear, on the other hand, almost has a GR Yaris look with the oversized fenders, narrowed down roof line and similarly shaped tail lights. Overall the car sports enough contour lines and design elements to ensure it's not like any other dull crossover to look at.
Jump inside the Yaris Cross and you will meet a homely feeling of the new Toyotas design. Wrapped in a leather-fabric combo, the seats felt comfortable and surprisingly included front-row power and heating as well.
However, being true to its price point, it boldly highlights plastic panels everywhere from the doors to the dashboard to the centre console.
Although Toyota did try to spice it up by using a combination of black and brown for the plastic bits in the Z package, the second highest trim available for the Cross after the Z Adventure. There are a lot of storage spaces as well, which gives it extra points from a practicality standpoint, although making it feel a bit dated.
The regular Yaris is a small hatchback that struggles to fit four passengers comfortably inside. This Cross, unfortunately, carries over the trait as well. Because of its low roof line, the rear seats feel crampy inside with a severe lack of legroom. The seats are a bit upright as well and most importantly, lack a central armrest which could be a deal breaker for some. Although its slightly larger rear windows do give it an edge over the CH-R for claustrophobic passengers.
The steering wheel, however, was fairly treated as it comes wrapped in leather in the Z Package. The 7-inch infotainment panel was surprisingly responsive and supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which is quite rare for a reconditioned vehicle. It also comes with a 360° camera and integrated climate control, even though it has specific knobs for it, fortunately – a pleasant surprise. Overall the interior is comfortable and the use of leather, soft-touch panels and amber lights definitely elevate the experience.
When it comes to driving the car, the first noticeable cue is the stiffness of the suspension, which can be prominently noticed on our Dhaka roads. Part of it is due to the 18-inch rims with low-profile tyres. Even then, the stiffness isn't in an athletic way either but more about compensating for the body-roll which is evidently present when taking corners. Our test mule, however, had an electric motor for the rear wheel making an 'E-Four Wheel Drive'.
Powering the Cross is a 1500cc hybrid engine producing 114 bhp and 120 Nm of torque. The electric bit makes the car quite zippy in traffic but it is an overall slow car. The e-CVT (electric continuously variable transmission) gearbox also gets tiptronic shifters which shift smoothly during normal drives but it is rather slow to shift when the accelerator is pushed hard.
The fuel economy, though, was impressive, (another one of the surprises) providing 22.2 kmpl while we were testing it; safe to say it would be easy on the pockets in terms of day-to-day commuting costs.
The Yaris Cross is a brilliant car if you just want to go from point A to point B and point B is in Gazipur. It's meant to be efficient while still ensuring the passengers are seated high enough. It still behaves like a hatch, meaning that it's only comfortable enough for the front passengers. Hence, at around Tk40 lakh, if one compares it with 'raised' Premio or Allions, it's bound to fall behind in all aspects except efficiency.
Specifications:
Engine: 1500cc 3-cylinder hybrid
Transmission: e-CVT
Power: 114 BHP
Torque: 120 Nm
Price: Tk40 Lakh (Approx.
