Toyota has revised the Yaris for 2009. The emphasis is on economy; whether saving fuel or reducing running costs with low CO
2 emissions and cheap insurance.
All variants of the new Yaris have carbon dioxide emissions of 120g/km or less, which means road tax of £35. Three engines are offered: 1.0-litre and 1.33-litre petrol units and a 1.4-litre diesel. The new 1.33-litre, Dual VVT-i engine was first seen in the Auris and iQ. It produces 100bhp and features a Stop & Start system to help save fuel. With this engine 55.4mpg is possible on the combined cycle and 120g/km CO
2 emissions for the six-speed manual car - 119g/km with the automated MMT (for MultiMode Transmission) version.
Six-speed manual or automatic MMT gearboxes may also be specified with the 1.4-litre D-4D common-rail turbodiesel. The diesel returns 68.9mpg for the manual version on the combined cycle or 67.3mpg with MMT. CO
2 emissions have also come down to 109- or 110g/km depending on transmission.
The 1.0-litre engine has received improvements to improve efficiency with changes to the fuel injection system including fuel cut-off during gear changes, thinner engine oil and a new exhaust gas recirculation facility. The result is 56.5mpg on the combined cycle and 118g/km CO
2 emissions. This engine is only offered with a five-speed manual gearbox.
As well as Band B Vehicle Excise Duty across the range the basic three-door T
2, 1.0-litre model should be very cheap to insure with its 1E rating. Even the most expensive, five-door, D-4D, T Spirit is only in group 4E.
Two other grades are available - TR and SR - while even the £8,585 T
2 gets an adjustable leather covered steering wheel and CD player with auxiliary input. The TR range starts at £9,540 including manual air conditioning, curtain airbags and a six-speaker audio system. Various additions, including 15-inch alloy wheels, sports steering wheel and gearlever, analogue dials and sports interior trim identify the SR, costing £10,915. Top of the range is the £12,005 T Spirit with automatic air conditioning, Bluetooth and 'Smart Entry and Start'.
The changes Toyota has made not only mean the Yaris is good value for money to buy, it should also be very cheap to own. According to Toyota's figures the owner of a 1.33-litre Yaris will save about £600 in fuel and VED over three years compared with a 1.25-litre
Ford Fiesta. The 2009 Yaris will be in Toyota dealerships soon.
The video below shows the new Yaris on the move.
John Lambert - 9 Feb 2009