Toyota Yaris: Bigger looks like automatic choice

Toyota Yaris 1.3. Photo / Supplied

How much difference does 198cc make? That's the question this week's Toyota Yaris 1.3 was called on to answer.

Toyota expects many buyers of the newest generation of its small car will be drawn to the well-equipped 1.5-litre version, sold with four-speed automatic for only $27,490.

This was the model to drive at its launch a couple of months back and it turned out to be a reasonably lively performer, tapping into 80kW of power and 141Nm of torque at 4200rpm. The 1.3 drops to 63kW and 121Nm at 4400rpm, but has a weight advantage of around 40kg. The five-speed manual tips the scales between 990kg and 1025kg, depending on equipment. The weight advantage narrows on the version with automatic transmission.

Skip to the results and the 1.3 manual's performance is neck-and-neck with the 1.5 auto - plus it's a more engaging car to drive, if that's your thing. A short drive of a 1.3 auto showed the toll the automatic takes on the smaller engine. It's far from hobbled, but the edge has gone; Driven reckons if you want a Yaris and must have an auto, the 1.5 is a better option.

You don't even save fuel with the 1.3 automatic; its overall rating of 6.3 litres per 100km is identical to the 1.5's. The 1.3 manual consumes 5.7 litres per 100km overall, but its urban fuel consumption is a litre per 100km better than either its automatic equivalent or the 1.5. That's an important figure, given the runabout nature of Yaris. On the pricelist, there's a $3700 saving for those who choose the 1.3 manual over a 1.5.

Cheers from the passenger seats, too, about Toyota's latest small-car efforts

The latest Yaris's redesigned interior is pleasantly styled and widely uses "soft-touch" surfaces.

Driven was of two minds about the changes, but now the public has spoken. By coincidence, former owners of Yaris' predecessors, the Echo and Starlet, rode in the car as passengers during Driven's tenure - and loved what Toyota has done.

"It seems so much roomier," enthused one, who now drives a company-provided last-model Yaris.

"This is the best small car I've been in," declared the ex-Starlet owner whose partner has a Suzuki Swift, a Yaris arch-rival.

Driven was impressed by the good quality of the ride and the effort Toyota has made to weed out noise, vibrations and harshness (NVH).

Some people who may otherwise buy the larger and costlier Corolla will be happy with this latest Yaris.

The bottom line:
Less equals much the same, so long as the Yaris 1.3 has a manual transmission.

Alternatives:

Ford Fiesta LX $23,990
Holden Barina $22,990
Honda Jazz S $24,700
Mazda2 Classic $23,245
Nissan Micra ST $22,600
Suzuki Swift GLX $22,500