Toyota has revealed a range of updates for the Yaris, which is expected to reach Irish showrooms in early 2024. The hatchback has been thoroughly reworked with new styling elements, updated safety and accident prevention technologies and a wider range of hybrid options available.
New styling and interior changes
The new Yaris will be available with newly designed five-spoke alloy wheels in a silver or machined finish. A new 'Juniper Blue' paint scheme will also be made available.
Inside, the Yaris has been given new seat upholstery with a new pattern. The interior also features soft-touch padding on the dashboard, a wide front console and a smaller, sportier steering wheel.
The Yaris's interior is intended to showcase Toyota's "less is more" design philosophy - which Toyota says is intended to give the car "the high sensory quality and spacious feel of a car from a class above."
The driver's instrument display is now fully customisable and is partnered with a more powerful multimedia system promising greater functionality.
Safety updates
As well as enhancing the Yaris's existing safety features, Toyota is introducing several new technologies to improve the model's credentials.
These include a new 'acceleration suppression' system - a collision prevention program that can slow sudden acceleration when the risk of a crash is high. Toyota is also introducing a 'proactive driving assist' (PDA) feature on the new Yaris, designed to avoid typical accidents at low speeds.
Deceleration assist is included on the Yaris as part of the PDA system, which aids the driver in decelerating more smoothly, particularly when approaching a slow-moving vehicle ahead or entering a bend.
The second part of the PDA system is steering assist, which can recognise a bend in the road ahead and automatically adjust steering inputs, regulating the steering force to help the driver make a more stable turn.
Another new feature is the Emergency Driving Stop System, which can recognise when the driver is ill or incapacitated. The car will sound a warning if it does not detect any inputs for some time - if the driver still doesn't react, it will bring the car to a gentle halt, turn on the hazard lights and unlock the doors.
A Safe Exit system can be selected as an optional extra, providing warnings if another car or a cyclist is approaching a door that's about to be opened. If a child or pet is left in the back seat, the car will also alert the driver, helping to avoid "hot car" incidents.
According to Toyota, the Yaris's adaptive cruise control has also been revised, with improved and more gradual deceleration.
Wider hybrid range
A more powerful hybrid powertrain has been revealed for the Yaris, with improved acceleration and performance.
The powertrain features a new transaxle combined with a larger and more powerful electric motor generator. With further revisions to the power control unit's hardware and software, the car's system output has been increased by 12 per cent, maxing out at 130hp.
With a faster 0-100km/h time of 9.2 seconds, the Yaris's overtaking capabilities have improved, with increased torque providing better responsiveness.
The new powertrain will be offered alongside Toyota's established units, though availability of the more powerful system in Ireland has yet to be confirmed.