Toyota Yaris HSD, test drive (Exterior design, interior and finishes)

At Highmotor we continue with the second part of the test of the Toyota Yaris HSD, a vehicle that, as we said at the beginning of the week, has become the brand’s strongest bet on fuel consumption reduction, going so far as to embarrass the competition in an urban setting.

On this occasion, we set aside the sensations the little Japanese car has conveyed behind the wheel and focus on its exterior and interior design, the quality of its finishes and the space both for occupants and for cargo in the hidden boot.

In early 2012, Toyota decided to launch a hybrid variant based on the Yaris. With the arrival of this eco-friendly version, the brand’s designers chose to make some aesthetic changes with the aim of offering the customer a reinforced and apparently different image.

Compared with a petrol or diesel Yaris, the hybrid shows its differences in the headlights, the taillights, the front grille and the front bumper. At the rear, the only noticeable changes are in the design of the lights. These, like the front ones, feature LED technology. These modifications also play a part in reducing consumption, by cutting the air resistance the car faces as it moves forward.

The 16-inch wheels, like the metallic white paint, are unique to the Yaris HSD. The bodywork looks somewhat sportier thanks to the black panoramic roof, which contrasts with the colour of the rest of the vehicle.

Inside, the changes are even more numerous than outside. The seats, in cloth-and-leather, come with blue stitching, a colour that predominates throughout the vehicle, an electric blue. The gear lever stands out for its large size, something that catches the eye and the touch as soon as you take a seat. These offer optimal lateral support for city and country driving, although on tight bends the body may slide sideways.

The driving position is striking for how high it is compared with other vehicles in the same segment. You sit up high and, although you cannot lower the seat any further, the leather steering wheel offers adjustment for both reach and rake. The instrument cluster shows the speedometer and the fuel gauge and, in place of a rev counter, carries an indicator showing whether we are recharging the battery, driving smoothly or using the engine’s full power.

Whether in the rear or the front, the Toyota Yaris HSD is a spacious vehicle, offering legroom for rear passengers. For longer journeys, it is advisable that no more than four adults travel, otherwise it becomes uncomfortable in the rear seats.

The boot has a capacity of 286 litres. This figure can increase if the rear seats are folded down. Compared with other hybrids, the Yaris HSD loses no space in this compartment, since the batteries are housed under the rear seats rather than in the boot as in most vehicles. In addition, the Toyota offers its occupants, throughout the cabin, numerous storage compartments that come in very handy.

The Yaris divides its dashboard into two different materials, one hard and one softer and padded. The first covers the whole interior, from the centre console to the doors, while the second, in white, barely covers the centre of the dashboard. The leather used on the seats, the handbrake and the steering wheel is not of very high quality, but it comes as standard on this model.

The multimedia system, besides being very intuitive when connecting mobile phones or using GPS, offers an eight-speaker sound system that sounds really good when we are not demanding its maximum power. On the 6.1-inch screen, we can see the reversing camera, the radio, the phone, the consumption data, range or battery charge.

Images | Test team

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackToyota Yaris9 versions · from 24,550 €