New Car detail

Sporty but in a sensible sort of way, Toyota’s Yaris TR should accrue a strong following. Steve Walker reports…

There’s no doubt about it, some UK market superminis do the sporty thing more convincingly than Toyota’s Yaris. The car’s core strengths lie in its packaging, build quality and reliability with even the range-topping 1.8-litre SR model maintaining a sensible distance from the maniac hot hatch elite. This positioning of the livelier Yaris models has worked rather well for Toyota. Many buyers like a small car with a sporty look and feel but don’t want to be shaken into oblivion by race-bred suspension or rendered destitute but crippling fuel consumption and insurance premiums. With the SR operating at the top of the range, the TR model brings Toyota’s brand of cost-conscious sporty supermins to those on a tighter budget.

Visually, the TR cuts quite at dash while managing to steer well-clear of the kind of extrovert accessories that make some superminis look like they’re benefiting from the proceeds of a ram raid at Halfords. The compact, chunky lines of the standard Yaris are lifted by classy 15" Savara alloy wheels and front fog lights. The TR is based on the middle ranking T3 trim level so buyers also get that car’s body-coloured door handles and bumpers to enhance its appearance. Inside, there’s more tasteful detailing including chrome scuff plates on the door sills and an upmarket silver-effect coating for the door pulls and handbrake button. Equipment levels are high as those familiar with the Yaris range would expect. The TR comes packing desirables such as a six-speaker CD stereo, air-conditioning and no fewer than nine airbags. A matching leather steering wheel and gearknob round things off nicely. If you’re seduced by the TR’s tempting value proposition, you’ll need to get that thinking cap on and make a choice between two engines. There’s a 1.3-litre petrol option and a 1.4-litre diesel to consider but the same advice that applies for most small cars holds true in this case. Here it is: modern diesel engines are expensive things and in a car that costs around £10,000, the premium you need to pay in order to secure one represents a big proportion of that overall price. Diesels might be notably more fuel efficient than comparatively-sized petrol engines but you’ll need to cover significant mileages in yours - something that owners of smaller vehicles don’t tend to do - in order to recoup the extra money you paid for it. It is, therefore, difficult to justify a diesel engine in a supermini on purely financial grounds.

"A well built, reliable supermini with low running costs…"

The 1,4-litre oil-burner in the Yaris TR returns an impressive 63mpg on the combined cycle compared to the 1.3-litre petrol’s 47mpg. It also produces just 119g/km of CO2 while the 1.3-litre unit pumps out 141g/km. The diesel is definitely going to be cheaper to fuel and tax but it’s £950 more expensive. The other thing to factor into the equation is performance. The diesel is the quicker of the two engines, taking 10.7s to reach 60mph compared to the 11.5s that the petrol-engined Yaris will detain you for but crucially is also feels far stronger through the gears thanks to its superior torque output. This makes for a more relaxed driving experience with fewer gearchanges and easier overtaking manoeuvres. In the oil-burner’s minus column, it sounds a little coarser than the petrol. You’ll need to evaluate all of these factors before making the decision but, for what it’s worth, unless I was planning on undertaking long journeys on a regular basis, I’d probably take the petrol and pocket the difference. Prices for the TR start at £9,645 for the 1.3-litre petrol Yaris TR in the 3-door bodystyle with the equivalent diesel at £10,595. The 5-door models offer increased practicality with a slightly less dynamic shape for a premium of £500 and buyers can swap the 5-speed manual gearbox for the labour-saving 5-speed Multi Mode automatic in exchange for a further £500. Despite its 11cm growth in overall length in comparison to its predecessor, the Yaris is still shorter than the latest generation of larger superminis such as the Fiat Grande Punto and the Renault Clio. Part of the reason why these cars are so large is compliance with pedestrian impact legislation which is adding a few centimetres to the nose of many models. The Yaris gets round this one by arcing the bonnet high over the unyielding mechanicals to provide a deformable surface. This means that despite being shorter on the outside, the Yaris is competitive in terms of interior space and easy to park at the same time. Fold the EasyFlat rear seats down and you’re treated to the largest stowage area of any supermini. This system allows the rear bench to be split 60:40 and both sections to slide independently. Therefore it’s possible to transport long, bulky items without impinging on a rear passenger’s legroom allowance. Aerodynamics, once a major vehicle selling point in the Eighties, are again coming back into vogue as manufacturers look for relatively inexpensive solutions to the problem of their wares becoming bigger, heavier and therefore less economical on fuel. A few thousand hours spent in a wind tunnel can claw back those losses and the Yaris benefits from a flat central underfloor, a smooth fuel tank and a cover between the spare wheel and the bumper. The result is a drag coefficient of 0.30, excellent for such an upright car. Toyota claim to have cut frontal lift at speed by 100 per cent, which in turn gives benefits in terms of motorway stability and resistance to crosswind effects. A well built, reliable supermini with low running costs, tight pricing and a subtle sporty edge, the appeal of Toyota’s Yaris TR is largely self-explanatory. It’s not a car to fire the imaginations of the Burberry-clad adolescents whose customised monstrosities frequent the car park of the local DIY centre after hours but as a more mature, value-orientated choice, it will reward in generous instalments over the long term.

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: Toyota Yaris TR special edition range PRICES: £9,645 - £11,095 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 3E-8E CO2 EMISSIONS: 119-141g/km PERFORMANCE: [1.3] 0-60mph 11.5s / Max Speed 106mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.3] (urban) 39.2mpg / (extra urban) 53.3mpg / (combined) 47.1mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: ABS with brake assist, twin front and side airbags WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: [standard 5dr] Length/Width/Height mm 3750/1695/1530