Setting the World in Motion

The small and less-expensive Toyota Yaris sedan re-enters the market with fresh looks and is backed by a brand name that has been a beacon of reliability and value since Adam’s days

The favourite son of the working-class is the all-new for 2014. Following the successful launch of the new-body Yaris hatchback, Toyota have brought to the GCC the sedan that bears the same name.

First produced in 1999, the Yaris was known by its many names such as Echo, Vitz, Platz, Belta, Vios etc. Regardless of its name, it has served a clientele of the low to mid-income communities without gathering any grime to its image. After a stint of driving and testing quick and cosy cars that cost half a four-bedroom villa on the Palm, we got back to basics by driving the 2014 Toyota Yaris Sedan, simply to remind us of the real purpose of the motor vehicle... which is, getting from A to B.

DESIGN & AESTHETICS

It is easy to assume that the 2014 Toyota Yaris Sedan being the 3-box variety of the beloved Yaris hatchback would be the same car, albeit with a boot. But that is not the case this time around. There is quite a distinction between the two with regards to both the exterior and the cabin interiors.

Starting with the headlamps: unlike those on the Yaris hatchback that have a squarish profile, the sedan has sleeker more-stretched back clusters illuminated by halogen lamps in the base and mid-spec models. The range topper gets projector headlamps that spice up some upmarket appeal. The Sedan has also gained some aggression thanks to the blacked out lower bumper with body colour flanks that resemble the teeth of a shark — or fangs, if you will. Incorporated into the lower apron are fog lamps, which are very important, especially in a place where half the driving community go blind and forget how to drive over the slightest hint of fog or rain.

In profile, you get a view of the blacked out door pillars that render an uninterrupted look of glass. Two character lines dominate the side profile, one that runs across the doors above the door handles and the other that starts at the lower end of the front wheel arch, runs along the doors and terminates over the other end of the rear wheel arch. The side view mirrors in the upgraded model are body-coloured with indicators in them. They are also conveniently retractable for when you’re squeezing into a tight parking spot. The rear end is very Toyota-esque with conservatively shaped rear lamps that are separated by a long chrome strip over the number plate.

Overall, the car does look slightly out of proportion because of the larger cabin, short wheelbase and tiny wheels, but then again, almost every car in the segment does. And there are no surprises in the Yaris sedan. It has a safe design — evidence that Toyota seem to play by the norms of convention very well.

The Sport and SE plus model run on 8-spoke 15-inch aluminium alloy wheels — a welcome change over the 14-inch and 15-inch plastic hubcaps. In fact, up until a decade ago, alloys wheels were a costing no-no for a base car like this.

Toyota is offering Yaris customers up to eight colour choices, including grey, silver, black, red and the obvious white — the colour best suited for this region and that also has the best resale value. But truth is, if you opt for a white or black, you may be mistaken for driving a rental. It is not the best image, especially when the car is your own.

The first thing you would notice about the Yaris cabin is how easy it is to enter and exit. It is not only about the convenience of the smart key — available on the SE plus model — it has also got to do with large door openings and low door sill. It’s a well thought out design that would profit the elderly. Technology-wise, isn’t it brilliant that even the Yaris now comes with the futuristic movie-inspired push start/stop button?

The cabin in general is commodious for adults of all sizes upfront. But the rear is a different scenario. If you can keep your trip limited to an hour or two at max, the three adults in the rear should survive without fuss. Else, it may turn into a scene from The Hunger Games.

The Yaris comes with a sporty three-spoke steering wheel, minimally decorated by metallic trims. The wheel is also leather-wrapped in high-spec models that add to the comfort of driving. Unfortunately, the steering column does not telescope and this may pose a problem for taller drivers, who need to slide their seat back to accommodate their legs.

There’s faux stitching moulded on to the dashboard and doors, and the door handles on the SE plus model are silver painted, adding some shine to the otherwise austere cabin. The interior upholstery can be had in one of two shades, either ivory or black and variations of either, which have minimalistic designs on the fabric. The Sport model gets blue accented black fabric. I’m not sure how that equates to sporty though.

POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE

From as low as Dh48,500, which is cheaper than the base price of the outgoing model, you can avail yourself of the 83 bhp 1.3-litre 4-cylinder engine that will quite happily take you from K to B (K being Karama and B meaning Bur Dubai).

More exclusive models have under their bonnet a 1.5-litre inline 4-cylinder in your view. Prices for variants with this motor start at Dh53,500. Like almost any other Toyota engine, its power producing abilities are helped along by VVT-i technology allowing it to cross the 100 bhp mark. Power has been calibrated to 106 horses at 6,000 rpm while top torque is rated at 141 Nm at 4,300 revs. That is enough poke to steer you through the streets and the highways.

The 0 to 100 km/h dash is completed in a little over 11 seconds and with four adults on board expect to reach a ton in 14 to 15 seconds. Yes, the added mass makes a big difference — a noticeable one. As for testing speed limits, the 220 km/h speedometer seems overly optimistic but the bare-boned sedan can touch a 175 km/h top speed, according to the Japanese manufacturer. And it will hum along happily at your typical highway speed of 120 km/h like it is everyday business. The NVH or Noise Vibration and Harshness levels have been reduced over the outgoing model. However, you can’t ignore the noise the motor makes when you are heavy on the throttle.

The back fall with the powertrain is the transmission, which happens to be a 4-speed slush-box, an automatic in other words. It is quite smooth in operation, but an extra cog in the box would have made it a more fuel efficient and better performing vehicle, in terms of acceleration. Surprisingly, the Yaris hatchback has one of the quickest and lightest steering setups in the business, giving even sports cars from Germany and Italy a run for their money. It is a breeze to steer it in town, but if you push it too fast over a long sweeping turn, the ugly face of understeer will show. Getting through the minimal undulations of commonly used roads is easy, but when you get to B-roads and make shift roads, be prepared for a bumpy ride.

Besides a low asking price, the other reason why people purchase cars like the Yaris is for its good fuel economy. Claims are tall at 7.3 l/100km but with a sedate driving demeanour, you can stretch out that 50+ litre tank for more range than you think.

FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY

The audio system comes with LCD display with some elements of piano black finish and metallic ornamentation. You can hook up your iPod and other portable music players via a USB/AUX component, both of which are accessible on the centre console itself, avoiding the inconvenience of slotting it in the glove box and other spaces. Base models come with two speakers, an upgrade calls for a four-speaker unit and the top spec SE+ model has six speakers. To be honest, the unit on the base model looks after-market but is handsomer than the company fitted unit on the SE plus model. But that’s just me!

As standard, the car comes equipped with ABS and EBD or Electronic Brake-force Distribution that helps maintain dynamic stability and driver control when braking while on a turn or for a traffic light. It has Brake Assist that increases the braking force when the brakes are applied in urgency, shortening braking distances and avoiding possible fender benders. You also have pretensions on the front seat belts with two stage force limiters. For reason of having only a single airbag on the 1.3-litre model Yaris, I’d not recommend it. The life of your spouse or child is as important as yours.

As for your luggage hauling capa-cities, the relatively enormous bulge in the back boot must come of some use, right? You can easily fit two large-sized suitcases in there and have enough room for other handbags and rucksacks. Folding down the rear seat opens up extra space. Unfortunately, it is only the SE plus model that gets this benefit. Toyota could have been more liberal with this very useful option.

Toyota has proved their mastery in air-conditioning systems over the years. They can turn any glasshouse cabin into a frosty ambience fit for an Eskimo. The SE plus model also gets the additional single zone climate control system.

VERDICT

The 2014 Toyota Yaris Sedan is as 
elemental a car as can be, but a flawless one at that. It is your fuss-free companion around town and will easy fulfill the ‘A to B’ tasks while you invest your fin-ances elsewhere. Although Toyota has attempted to inject some jazzy styling to make it softer to the eye, you probably won’t take much notice of that. What you would notice is the reliability, fuel economy and top-notch resale value — all of which are the best in class. Back that up with a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty (300,000 kms cap) and you can say goodbye to the wasteful days of renting a car.

For what it’s worth and the number of lives it will touch, be it in a sober and slightly unenthusiastic sort of way, I would like to think that these are the cars that make the world go round.