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Toyota Yaris / Vitz
Debut: 2005
Maker: Toyota
Predecessor: Yaris / Vitz Mk1
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 Toyota
had never been good at making small cars until very recently. For
years, its Starlet struggled to break into overseas market but without
much success. It was so frustrated to the extent that it simply took
over Daihatsu in order to gain access to the small car market.
However, in 1999 Toyota finally created a world-class small car. It was
called Vitz at home, or Yaris in Europe and Echo in North America. The
car had a cute styling, very compact yet space-efficient packaging, an
innovative sliding rear seat which could alter passenger legroom and
luggage room according to needs, and it employed a range of 4-valve per
cylinder VVT-i engines to deliver brisk performance. The car won
European Car of the Year award immediately and sold hot in Europe.
Meanwhile, a production plant was established in France - the heartland
of European small cars - as a symbol of victory and rolled out 200,000
Yaris a year. The success of Yaris started a new wave of Toyota
invasion to Europe. After USA, Toyota broke into European market
finally.
Enough history. Wind forward to February 2005, the second generation
Vitz was launched in Japan. In Europe it is still called Yaris, but USA
and the rest of the world now also adopt the Yaris label. After the
successful Mk1, we inevitably had high expectation on the Mk2. We know
it falls in the most competitive market segment in the world - no less
than 33 cars in AutoZine's comparison list at the time of writing.
Therefore it had better to take another big step forward.
Judging from the exterior styling, my first impression on the Vitz /
Yaris is quite positive. The new car was again designed by Toyota's
Brussels studio, no wonder it preserves the genes of the Mk1. It may be
less radical than the original car 6 years ago, but the design evolved
to be more modern, more flowing and dynamic. Its minimalist cabin looks
very cool, thanks to the contrasting back plastic and silver console.
Like the Mk1, instruments are mounted centrally in the name of allowing
the driver to concentrate on the road. In fact, they allow cheaper
conversion from left to right hand drive.
 The new
Yaris is considerably larger than its predecessor (110 mm longer, 35 mm
wider and 20 mm taller, plus a 90 mm boost in wheelbase), but it is
still considerably smaller than Renault Clio and Fiat Grande Punto.
Does this mean less cabin space? no. You must admire Japanese
engineers' expertise in packaging. They were born in an environment
where space is as precious as gold, so they were trained to make the
most space out of the minimal exterior dimensions. In the new Vitz /
Yaris, you will find space comparable to Clio. 4 people enjoy plenty of
head and legroom. 5 would be a squeeze though. Although the rear floor
is flat, the body sides are heavily tapered towards the roof. This mean
the outer rear passengers will have their heads rubbing against the
windows or pillars. The same would not happen in our class leader
Mitsubishi Colt. Toyota's engineers know how to solve
this problem - by using boxy body, they gave the smaller Toyota Passo
even more room than the Vitz / Yaris. However, they don't want to
sacrifice the dynamic style and structural rigidity in Vitz / Yaris.
Flexible cabin layout is the strength of Yaris. The rear seat not only
6:4 split, recline and fold flat onto the floor, but it also slide back
and forth to alter the distribution between passenger space and luggage
space. Storage space is another strength. There is countless of storage
cubbies throughout the cabin, including a large glovebox in front of
the driver and a drawer underneath the front passenger seat.
Despite of these features, this is not the best cabin in the class.
While its plastics look high quality stuff, once you touch them you
will realize they are just regular hard plastics. Knock them and they
sound hollow. This car does not feel as high quality as Renault Clio
and Volkswagen Polo, although I won't doubt its reliability. Another
disappointment is the cold ambience of the cabin. All plastics are
black, the console is silver and the roof is white. It feels as boring
as the rainy sky of England. Why not inject some colors?
Mechanically, the new Vitz has little to surprise. The front is
suspended by MacPherson struts. The rear by torsion-beam. The chassis
gained 40 percent rigidity over the Mk1. Drag coefficient is reduced to
0.30. All these are predictable. Like the Mk1, it is offered with 3
petrol engines in 1.0 litres, 1.3 litres and 1.5 litres. All of them
employ twin cam 4 valves per cylinder and VVT-i, again like its
predecessor. There is no substantial gain in power, so performance
remains more or less the same.
 On the
road, the Yaris will be loved for agility and ease of drive. Because of
its efficient packaging, the Yaris can be lighter and more compact than
the latest European mini cars. Its short turning circle makes it easy
to drive in congested urban area. The same goes for the light steering
and crisp gearchange. If motorway driving is not your daily
requirement, the smallest 1.0 engine will be perfect. This 3-cylinder
unit is pretty smooth and eager, powerful considering its small
capacity (thanks to variable valve timing), and very frugal. The 1.3
petrol should satisfy most drivers, while the 1.5 petrol is mainly
designed for power hungry American. However, at high rev the
4-cylinders sound coarser than the 3-cylinder.
Make no mistake, Yaris Mk2 does not set any new standards in driving
dynamics. While it handles and rides quite well, you won't feel excited
in any single area. Its ride is not as absorbent as Clio and Grande
Punto. Its sound insulation is just average. Its body movement is less
tightly controlled than Fiesta and Polo. Its electric steering feels
quite artificial (well, so do most rivals). The beauty of Vitz / Yaris
is not about driving dynamics, but the overall efficiency of its
packaging and mechanicals. Unfortunately, this time it failed to turn
the efficiency into desirability. If it get a more inviting cabin and
some innovative features, or a really striking look, the story would
have been different. |
| The
above report was last updated on 22 Dec
2005. All Rights Reserved. |
Belta and Yaris Sedan
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The
sedan version of Vitz / Yaris is called Belta in Japan, or simply Yaris
sedan in the USA. There is no European version because they prefer
hatchback. The sedan is not just a Vitz / Yaris added with a boot, but
it has a longer wheelbase (2550mm vs 2460mm) to offer more rear seat
legroom. However, its rear seat cannot slide back and forth like the
hatchback.
The Belta is powered by either the 1.0 VVT-i or 1.3 VVT-i engine,
coupled to a CVT to emphasize economy. American requires more power, so
Yaris sedan is powered by the 106hp 1.5 VVT-i engine with 5-speed
manual gearbox or 4-speed automatic. |
| The
above report was last updated on 13 Jul 2006. All Rights Reserved. |
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