Toyota Australia has announced the new-look 2015 Yaris compact hatch for the local market. The freshened up model now comes in five-door form only, with more features inside, and improved driving dynamics and suspension.
The funky and friendly compact car showcases a noticeably more sporty exterior design, particularly the front fascia, with a large grille section, a slimline upper grille, and some new chrome trimming. There’s also new headlights across the range.
Mechanical changes are limited, however, the base model Ascent now comes with 15-inch steel wheels instead of the previous 14s, while the 1.3-litre engine and higher-spec 1.5 remain unchanged.
Toyota has made some refinements to the suspension and chassis for a more enjoyable drive, with a stiffer body shell, retuned dampers, more spot welds, and reduced noise and vibration levels. Some changes have also been made to the steering for better response.
Aside from the technical stuff, the company has packaged more into the popular model for increased value. All models come with a rear-view camera as standard, cruise control, Bluetooth, and a 6.1-inch touch-screen interface for the on-board media and controls.
Stepping up to the sporty ZR gets you auto-levelling LED headlights, a new bodykit with side skirts, privacy glass for the rear, and the 1.5-litre engine producing 80kW and 141Nm.
Tony Cramb, Toyota Australia executive director of sales and marketing, spoke about the introduction of the new model in a statement, saying,
“The latest update to Yaris hatch will broaden its appeal, making it even more compelling as a stylish, affordable and economical car that promises to deliver a lot of fun to its owners.
“Standard reversing camera, cruise control and seven airbags emphasise the car’s inherent safety. Clever features such as innovative storage spaces, a large touch-screen audio display and available connected mobility make the new-look Yaris an even smarter choice for customers.”
The Yaris has been the most popular compact car in its class since 2005, overall, selling to over 186,000 buyers. So far this year (as of August VFACTS figures) Toyota Australia has sold 8423 examples of the Yaris, making it the third best-selling model behind the Mazda2 (8699) and Hyundai i20 (9788).
Prices for the new range are as follows (excluding on-road costs):
2015 Toyota Yaris Ascent – $15,690
2015 Toyota Yaris SX – $17,790
2015 Toyota Yaris ZR – $22,690
