Toyota Yaris Cross review

The the regular Toyota Yaris small car isn’t quite butch enough for you, then cast your eyes over the new Yaris Cross.

It’s effectively the exact same car as the regular hatchback, only it’s been given a bit of extra rough-and-tumble small SUV appeal to make it taller in stature and a bit longer nose-to-tail. You could think of it like a standard Yaris that’s juiced itself up on steroids before heading down the gym for an intense work-out session.

Size-wise, it sits alongside an almost endless list of alternatives. You’ve got the likes of the Ford Puma and the Renault Captur, as well as the Peugeot 2008 and the Vauxhall Mokka to name but a few.

One thing those cars all bring to the table is their distinctive styling, so it’s good to see that the Yaris Cross doesn’t fall short in this department. Looks-wise it’s clearly related to the regular Yaris – particularly when viewed from behind – but its jumped up ride height and plastic cladding around the bumpers give it a bit more presence and visual clout. It’s a bit more rufty-tufty than the standard Yaris, but it’s still a good looking little car.

That good design form continues on the inside, too. So far we’ve only driven a left-hand drive European-spec test car that roughly lines up with the Dynamic trim level we get in the UK, but it featured plenty of squidgy, soft-touch plastics and that look smart and feel great. In classic Toyota fashion, everything feels solidly screwed together too.

You sit in a perched position with a good view out, in seats that are comfortable and snug-fitting. Although you don’t have the option of speccing electrically-adjustable seats, it’s still easy to get settled in behind the wheel. Space is a bit tight in the back – headroom-wise, you certainly won’t feel like you’re sat in church – but there’s enough room for two taller adults to sit in reasonable comfort.

Hard not to be impressed by how economical the Yaris Cross is. All versions are well-equipped too, but I'd avoid the four-wheel-drive versions.

The Toyota’s boot is up to 397 litres in capacity with the rear seats in place, so it’s bigger than a Vauxhall Mokka’s, but smaller than a Peugeot 2008’s. Still, a flat floor with no lip makes it easy to load and unload, and a configurable boot floor brings a handy level of versatility too.

You also get a good level of safety and assistance features across the range. Adaptive cruise control is standard, as are autonomous emergency braking and lane keep assist. All-round parking sensors are available optionally as part of a pack, and so is blind-spot monitoring.

And as for engines? Well, the Yaris Cross is only available with a single 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid powertrain, which develops a respectable 114bhp and drives the front wheels through an easy-going automatic CVT transmission. Four-wheel drive is available too.

Performance isn’t especially brisk (0-60mph takes 11.2 seconds), but the electric motor gives the Yaris Cross a useful accelerative boost at low speeds – so you’ll easily keep pace with the traffic around town. And because it can run for very short periods of time on electricity alone, the Yaris Cross is exceptionally fuel efficient – we saw 60mpg during our time with the car.

Lightweight, accurate steering and good visibility make it a very easy car to trundle about town in, but a firm low-speed ride can make for a bit of jostling and fidgeting over rougher patches of road. It’s certainly comfier at open road speeds, and although there’s a bit of tyre roar and wind noise this isn’t deafening.

It grips well through corners too, and doesn’t roll about too much at all when you press on a bit. You wouldn’t call it a particularly fun car to drive, but then entertainment value isn’t really what these sorts of cars are all about anyway. Instead, the Yaris Cross focuses on being a handsome, reasonably practical, easy-driving and extremely economical small SUV.

Prices start from just above £22,000, and deliveries are due to begin in September. So if you like the sound of the Yaris Cross, head on over to our deals page to see how much money you can save through carwow.