The new Yaris reflects Toyota’s renewed focus on design, displaying more distinctive styling inside and out. The objective has been to strengthen Yaris’s emotional appeal, without sacrificing any of the original car’s rational strengths, such as its packaging, efficient power trains and durability.
Jonathan Cremona, marketing manager at Michael Debono Ltd, said: “Yaris was always extremely strong in its rational dimensions. What Toyota wanted to achieve was to connect the model not only with our customers’ brains, but also with their hearts.”
The new model follows the trend set by new Aygo in adopting a stronger appearance, notably with new, cross-shaped frontal treatment with separate upper and lower elements. At the rear, there is a redesigned bumper with integrated diffuser, new LED light clusters and a sculpted licence plate surround, all adding to the car’s visual impact.
Important modifications have been made in the cabin as well, with an emphasis on comfort, driving pleasure and the quality of the materials, which have been significantly improved, looking and feeling better. Customer appeal is further enhanced with wider equipment and colour choices.
The upper instrument panel has been made thinner, giving the dashboard a stronger horizontal line. The upper surface of the driver’s instrument binnacle has been restyled to give a slimmer appearance. In conjunction with these changes, the door panel has also been redesigned with a more fluid look, a larger soft-touch area and greater functionality.
Yaris’s trademark sculpted central dashboard panel has gained thicker soft padding and its surface is now finished in PVC. Different graining patterns – animal, technical or geometrical – are used according to model grade.
The new Toyota Yaris has definietely no rivals in the Multimedia segment as it now benefits from Toyota Touch 2, an updated version of Toyota’s touchscreen multimedia system. It comes with a new higher resolution seven-inch screen that uses four times as many pixels as the original system, for bright, sharp images with a deeper 3D effect.
The package includes Bluetooth for hands-free phone calls, sending and receipt of text messages and audio streaming; a rear-view camera; vehicle information, including trip data, climate control profile; and management of settings for door locking and lighting.
The screen menu has been expanded to incorporate more information, including air-conditioning settings. There is a new layout to show the operation of the hybrid system and the screen supports ‘drag and flick’ control for easier use.
It also enables simple connection of iPods and MP3 players via USB or Bluetooth, and, where available, will display album, artist and track information. Audio system options can also be controlled using the screen.
It comes with a DAB digital radio as standard, with an FM link that automatically switches the system to FM reception when there is no DAB digital signal.
Toyota Touch 2 is also ‘MirrorLink’-ready, allowing users to connect compatible smartphones and operate them entirely using the touchscreen.
For more information on the new Toyota Yaris and the Toyota line-up, visit the Toyota showroom in Mdina Road, Żebbuġ, log on to the Toyota Malta Facebook page or call 2269 4000.