The all new Toyota Yaris has been designed to meet the increasing challenges of everyday urban life.
Today’s compact car customers are amongst Europe’s most demanding and they typically undertake their busy lives in congested urban environments that present them with ever-increasing challenges.
They expect their car to deliver style and practicality. They want it to be easy to park, agile in the city and comfortable on longer journeys. They expect leading levels of safety and the lowest possible running costs. In addition, they are more environmentally aware than ever before and seek relevant solutions that fit their daily schedule and surroundings. And, of course, they also prefer these attributes to be delivered at an affordable price.
To respond to these ever-increasing demands, the new Yaris brings Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA) philosophy to the compact car segment for the first time. For the new Yaris, this is delivered through the first use of the new GA-B platform, and the first use of the new TNGA 3-cylinder, 4th generation hybrid system. This approach is complemented by advances in active and passive systems to create the world’s safest compact car.
GA-B PLATFORM ENABLES STYLISH DESIGN AND SMART PACKAGING
The new Yaris’ exterior design concept is defined as ‘Condensed and Agile’- always ready to move and enjoy. Its ‘condensed’ dimensions set it apart in a market segment where new cars have typically grown larger with each successive iteration. Instead, Toyota has reduced Yaris’ overall length by 5 mm, but at the same time increased its wheelbase by 50 mm, ensuring the car is agile and manoeuvrable in city driving and parking, while keeping interior space and also delivering a comfortable interior – the essence of its “big-small” character.
The GA-B platform has enabled a 40 mm reduction in the overall height, but headroom has not been compromised as the driver and passengers sit lower. The reduced cowl height contributes to a better forward view for the driver. Adding 50 mm to the car’s width generates more space in the front and in the rear, while the wider front and rear track-widths add to new Yaris’ lower, wider look.
The exterior styling amplifies the effect of the condensed proportions with strong character lines down the side of the car that project a sense of forward motion. Powerful front and rear wings add to the overall taut, coherent look and, together with the sculpted door panels, project a sense of agility and the car’s ‘ready-to-go’ character.
The frontal design focuses on the large grille and the central Toyota emblem. By pulling the base of the A-pillar rearwards and increasing the bonnet length, the designers have added to the dynamic look. The new lights feature LED technology and include turn indicators that alternate with the daytime running lights.
The headlights extend towards the front wheels in a strong styling feature that also reduces the perceived length of the front overhang.
The interior design follows a ‘less-is-more’ principle, creating an open and spacious area for the driver and front passenger. High-quality materials include an innovative felt trim finish for the door panels and, for the first time in a Yaris, a soft-touch instrument panel to deliver a warmer cabin ambience.
Throughout, sensory quality has been a key focus point, in terms of the touch, operation and sound of the controls, colours, illumination, shapes, patterns, graphics and overall appearance.
The cockpit design has been developed around the concept of ‘hands on the wheel, eyes on the road’. Information is presented clearly and directly to the driver from three interlinked sources: the central Toyota Touch screen, a TFT multi-information display in the instrument binnacle and a 10-inch colour head-up display. The larger size head-up display helps the driver focus on the business of driving with least distraction. It projects key driving data and warnings such as navigation prompts and speed limits onto the windscreen within the driver’s field of view.
The new Yaris can be equipped with other high-tech convenience features such as a wireless charger that is large enough to accommodate the latest generation of smartphones, a heated steering wheel and special ambient cabin lighting around the driver’s cockpit, the ergonomic design makes controls intuitive to locate and use, while the dashboard itself has been made slimmer and is set lower, with a wider and higher centre console. The driver’s instrument binnacle has twin digital meters flanking the TFT multi-information display, and is presented with just a shallow hood. Last, but not least, the steering wheel size has been reduced for better visibility supporting the ‘eyes on the road, hands on the wheel’ concept.
GA-B PLATFORM ENGINEERED TO DELIVER DRIVING ENJOYMENT
Toyota’s development of TNGA-based platforms has delivered a step-change in the ride, handling and styling of a series of new models. The first, the GA-C mid-sized car platform, is the foundation for advances in the driving character and appeal of the latest generation Prius, the C-HR and the newly launched Corolla. Similarly, the TNGA philosophy has demonstrated its adaptability for larger sedans and SUVs, with the GA-K platform underpinning the new Camry and the new RAV4 to great effect.
Now, with the development of the new Yaris, Toyota is applying the power of TNGA to elevate its compact car performance for the first time. The new GA-B platform is central to the new Yaris’ enhanced driving enjoyment, delivering a confident and natural feel. The car’s stability inspires confidence, while its response to the driver’s inputs is natural and precise, leading to a heightened sense of agility.
The combination of the car’s compact, low and wide dimensions, the dynamic qualities of the GA-B platform and the performance of the fourth generation hybrid powertrain creates an engaging and agile character that is a key part of the new Yaris’ emotional appeal. Around town it delivers an engaging and crisp response. At the same time, performance and handling deliver the kind of smooth and relaxing drive that is comfortable and desirable when making longer motorway journeys or cruising on the open road.
As with other TNGA-based models, the driver’s sense of control and connection with the car is enhanced by their position at the wheel. The GA-B platform allows the driver’s seat to be set lower and further back (+60 mm compared to the current Yaris) towards the centre of the car, helping reduce the vehicle’s centre of gravity. It also creates a more engaging driving position, with improved ergonomics and greater adjustability. The steering wheel is set closer to the driver, with a six-degree increase in the tilt angle.
As for all TNGA-based models, the centre of gravity in the new Yaris is low, actually around 15mm lower than on the current model, giving the car better inertia characteristics. The chassis also has a better weight balance, both front/rear and left/right, which reduces body roll and improves braking stability and stopping distances, while the body’s improved torsional rigidity contributes to the car’s agile and stable handling.
The new front MacPherson strut and rear torsion beam suspension designs include reduced friction in the front struts, softer springs and an increase in rear roll stiffness from 320 to 580 Nm/deg, which further improve the new Yaris’ dynamic qualities, reducing body roll in cornering and increasing agility.
The GA-B platform has allowed for a significant increase in body rigidity, which fosters vehicle stability and ride comfort, together with lower noise and vibration levels. The platform’s architecture and the upper body have been optimised, with strategic reinforcements in the cowl, rear pillar, tunnel and rear structure and the rear wheelhouse, and a stiffer dashboard panel.
NEW 1.5 HYBRID DYNAMIC FORCE– MORE RESPONSIVE AND MORE EFFICIENT
Toyota’s recognised leadership in self-charging hybrid technology is built on more than 20 years’ experience. With billions of kilometres of driving experience around the world, Toyota hybrids have also proved their outstanding quality, durability and reliability. It is estimated that Toyota hybrid vehicles collectively drive over 500 million kilometres around the world every day.
Since the introduction of the first Prius back in 1997, Toyota Motor Corporation has sold more than 14 million hybrid vehicles worldwide – including 2.5 million in Europe – constantly improving the technology and introducing new models across a wide range of market segments. The Yaris Hybrid, the world’s first full hybrid B-segment model, was introduced in 2012, since when more than 500,000 have been sold in Europe, establishing it as a key product in creating wider public awareness and appreciation of the benefits of Toyota’s hybrid technology.
The 4th generation Hybrid system has been tested in different cities around Europe such as Rome, Paris, and Darmstadt. Results show that when it is used in an urban area, almost 80% of the time is been driving in Zero Emission Vehicle.
Those outstanding results are made possible thanks to the architecture of Toyota Hybrid System, basically providing all the elements of an electric car with high power motors and high voltage components and at the same time very efficient engine following the Atkinson cycle.
Toyota’s new, fourth generation hybrid technology makes its debut in the principal powertrain for the new Yaris. This 1.5 Hybrid Dynamic Force system is directly derived from the larger, 2.0 and 2.5-litre systems that were introduced in the new Corolla, RAV4 and Camry models and has been developed with the same level of scrutiny on component size and weight in the quest for ever-better fuel and emissions efficiency.
The hybrid system features the new 1.5 Dynamic Force three-cylinder Atkinson cycle petrol engine with variable valve-timing. As with its four-cylinder 2.0 and 2.5 counterparts, it benefits from detailed measures to reduce internal friction and mechanical losses and optimise combustion performance. In fact, the engine has the world’s fastest combustion speed, supporting high torque at low engine speeds and fuel efficiency. It is also fitted with a balance module, which helps reduce engine noise and vibration.
As a result, it achieves a 40% thermal efficiency, higher than typical diesel engines, helping secure a more than 20% improvement in Yaris’ fuel economy and CO2 emissions. At the same time, system output has been increased by 15% and power delivery refined to give a confident and natural feel.
The hybrid transaxle has been fully redesigned, adopting a new dual axis structure that makes it more compact (9%) The result is a low-loss geartrain with smaller overall dimensions that improves performance and easily packages within the new Yaris’ GA-B platform.
The system also adopts a new lithium-ion hybrid battery with an increase in output that enables quicker vehicle acceleration. As well as being more powerful, the new battery is 27% lighter than the nickel-metal hydride battery it replaces.
The new Yaris will also be available with 1.5 and 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engines in selected markets. More details of these powertrains will be released at a later date.
A NEW LEVEL OF ADVANCED DRIVER ASSIST SYSTEMS IN COMPACT CARS
The new Yaris is aimed at designed to be the world’s safest compact car, and will deliver segment-leading safety performance by featuring significant advances in both active and passive safety systems.
The implementation of new advanced technologies means that new Yaris is ready to support our customers in their daily drives with maximum safety.
Advanced driver assistance systems include full speed-range intelligent adaptive cruise control and lane trace assist system found as on the recently launched Toyota models like Corolla. And all of these features are standard on every new Yaris.
In addition to Advanced Driver Assist Systems, the new Yaris has been developed to achieve best occupant protection in the forthcoming stricter standards for 2020. For instance, to better protect occupant in case of side impact, the new Yaris will be the first car in the compact segment to introduce a centre airbag.
