Overheard the IOL girls having an amusing conversation the other day - actually it was more like a debate about which cars guys should never be seen driving. Among the obvious Atos and Picanto, the Toyota Yaris earned itself a mention, but I'm going to assume they were referring to the previous generation.
Sure, we should all ideally be comfortable in our skins regardless of what we're driving around in, but there's no denying that a 'cute' little hatch like the previous Yaris could hardly be too appealing to someone with more than an ounce of testosterone. At most it'd be simple A to B transport.
Thankfully Toyota cottoned onto this when redesigning its B-segment hatch and the result is a stauncher, more aggressive visual personality. It might not stand out in a parking lot but its sharper lines are sure to give it a broader appeal across the gender divide.
Designers also binned the previous Yaris' central instrument pod that only garnered praise from Toyota's bean counters, who saved money because the left- and right-hand drive versions could share more parts.
In fact the new dashboard has a simplistic-but-sporty style about it - you’d swear Honda had a hand in designing it. It’s sure got character, with its grained upper-level finish and gun metal-coloured trimming around the instruments, audio system and air vents, yet it's no match for the Fiesta or Polo if we’re talking tactile quality.
The wider and longer new model is rather spacious inside, even providing generous legroom in the back, and the boot size now borders on decent for its class (347 litres if you're loading up to the roof). Pity it's lost that sliding back seat function of the previous model that allowed owners to increase luggage space when needed.
The XR model I drove was packed to the corners with standard kit, including seven airbags (even one for the driver's knee) as well as climate control, a nifty eight-speaker touch-screen audio system with Bluetooth connectivity, automatic windscreen wipers and headlights and there's even a panoramic roof.
Then comes the news that what you’re given have to shift all this along with is a 1.3-litre engine (the biggest size you can get in a Yaris) but it's not all bad news. With 73kW of power available at 6000rpm and 125Nm at 4000rpm, it's 16 percent more powerful than the previous Yaris and in the same ballpark as most 1.4s.
NICE CRUISER
Up at Reef altitudes it's not fast by any stretch of the imagination, but it's certainly adequate for most situations and its sixth forward gear ratio also makes it a quiet and economical highway cruiser.
In fact this Yaris has a very refined overall feel. It's almost eerily silent and very well damped, almost to the point of deceiving you into thinking you're in a bigger car. Of course, it's also easy and painless to drive in just about every respect.
It's just not much fun.
Which becomes a problem when Toyota is asking you to fork out R209 900 for this particular flagship model. Taking a glance at its main rivals, the Yaris would really need a more powerful engine or a very premium image to even think about competing here. It might be a great car in its own right, and with glut-worthy standard equipment, but it's neither fast nor premium.
Even the cheapest air conditioned 1.3-litre model (anything less than that would surely be uncomfortable) will set you back R176 800, or R183 000 if you want five doors. Toyota should seriously reconsider its pricing policy on the latest Yaris.
PRICE
Toyota Yaris 1.3 XR 3-dr (73kW) - R209 900
ALTERNATIVES
Life savings bon fire - R… you tell me
Citroen DS3 VTi 120 Style (88kW) - R216 400
Ford Fiesta 1.6 Titanium 3dr (88kW) - R205 660
Mini One (72kW) - R198 000
Opel Corsa 1.4 Colour Edition (74kW) - R189 000