MOTORING NEWS - After breaking cover at the Geneva Motor Show earlier in 2017, the new Toyota Yaris is now on sale in South Africa in a revised range that offers customers much greater choice and improved specifications.
Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has badged the updated Yaris as Pulse across the range.
Sporting more dynamic exterior styling and a higher quality cabin, the European-styled hatch is bold in appearance.
TSAM vice president of marketing, Glenn Crompton, said that Toyota has adopted new styling that is set to add further impetus to the competitive small hatchback segment. He added that the car's new exterior styling, with significant changes to the front and rear, presents a more active and dynamic look while also communicating a more refined direction.
Style
The Yaris Pulse makes a powerful style statement, displaying new front and rear designs that project a more active and dynamic look. Fesh detailing in the bodywork and cabin as well as new colour choices enhance the model's quality. Customers have a choice of three uni-colour tones, including Glacier White, Satin Silver Metallic and Cosmic Blue. Alternatively one can opt for Bi-tones paired with black roofs, including Pearl White 2-Tone, Grey 2-Tone and Cinnabar Red 2-Tone.
Increased customer choice extends to a new 1.5-litre petrol engine, which delivers 12% more power and torque than the previous 1,3-litre engine, yet also posts an improvement of up to 12% in fuel economy.
Where the hybrid model is concerned, engineers have focused on achieving a quieter ride, particularly under acceleration. The design of the new engine mounts and adjustments to the shock absorbers and electric power steering have also improved the hybrid's ride comfort and steering accuracy.
A more active and dynamic look with increased refinement
The redesign of the front of the car features a new front bumper shape with broad sections flowing down from new headlight units, flanking the wide grille. The result is a more pronounced three-dimensional effect and a wider, more planted road stance.
The new headlamp units further develop the qualities of the frontal design, producing a new lighting signature that expresses confidence and individuality.
Revised rear design with new tailgate, bumper and lamp clusters
At the rear the added sense of refinement and the appearance of a broader stance is created by a new tailgate design that extends the horizontal emphasis with new rear light clusters that stretch from the rear wings to the door.
At the rear, a new bumper design projects a low centre of gravity and wide on-road stance. The powerful quality of this design is supported by re-shaping the area framing the licence plate and the addition of black garnish details in the lower bumper, edged with a reflector and finished with a pattern of horizontal lines.
The focus in the interior has been to keep the cabin feeling fresh and modern, introducing new upholstery, colours and trim details and upgrading the instrumentation and controls for good ergonomics.The interior trim is a fashionable black and light grey on all models with the exception of the Yaris Pulse Plus CVT, which features a black trim.
The three-spoke steering wheel has a new look and boasts the addition of piano black trim inserts.
Permormance
Compared to the 1,3-litre unit, it is 0,8 seconds quicker in acceleration from 0 to 100km (11 seconds in the 1,5 MT and 11,2 seconds in the CVT) while at overtaking speed in fifth gear the improvement is more than a second. In addition, the new 1,5-litre engine is part of the economy with superior thermal efficient combustion engine family. It runs on a high compression ratio (13,5) and a cooled exhaust gas recirculation system.
The 2017 Yaris 1,5 benefits from something called VVT-iE, with iE standing for intelligent system electric motor.
Yaris Pulse remains the only local car in its segment available with hybrid power. Toyota has taken extra measures with the new model to improve the hybrid driving experience, introducing a new subframe, engine mounts, front driveshafts and roll restrictor that make it even quieter and smoother, particularly under acceleration.
The choice of powertrains is completed by the established 1.0-litre VVT-i three-cylinder petrol engine with five-speed manual transmission.
Details
The Yaris continues to be good value for money, with all models offered with a three year or 45 000km service plan and a three year or 100 000km warranty. Pricing are: 1.0 Pulse MT: R199 000; 1.5 Pulse MT: R228 700; 1.5 Pulse CVT: R241 400; 1.5 Pulse Plus CVT: R249 600 and Hybrid: R307 200.
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