2018 Toyota Yaris review, road test

The Yaris comes across as a well-put-together car that promises to be dependable and trouble-free like most Toyotas are. It, however, lacks the emotional quotient of its rivals, be it in terms of design and styling or the way it drives. Performance is lacklustre and the benign but neutral handling won’t thrill keen drivers either. Where the Yaris scores is in the safe and predictable way it goes about its job. Ride comfort is one of its key strengths and even at highway speeds, the Yaris feels very secure and stable. Toyota must be applauded for taking the lead when it comes to safety. The Yaris gets best-in-class safety features, which includes seven airbags, ESP and hill launch assist, earning it a 5-star rating in the ASEAN NCAP crash test, for which we’ve given it an extra star. It also gets many segment-firsts like the roof-mounted rear blower, gesture control and front parking sensors. However, it misses out on some key features its rivals offer like cooled seats, a sunroof and LED headlamps.

Overall, the Yaris is not an exciting car to own, and the premium pricing, especially for the higher variants, doesn’t make it fantastic value either. However, Toyota is banking on the lure of its badge and the peace of mind associated with the brand. But as a product, the Yaris falls short in many areas and Toyota should have offered more to entice buyers.

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