New Toyota Yaris Focuses On Hybrid Power

● Improved dynamics and a switch to lithium-ion battery● Shorter than outgoing model but with a longer wheelbase

- John McIlroy

THIS is the all-new Toyota Yaris, which will try to capitalize on wider recognition for hybrid power when it lands in British showrooms next summer.

The Japanese company’s new rival for the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa is the fourth generation of a model that has sold four million examples since it was first introduced in 2000. The Yaris switches to a newly adapted version of the same Toyota New Generation Architecture that underpins the latest Corolla, RAV4, and C-HR.

Called GA-B, the new Yaris’s chassis gets extra strengthening in a bid to improve the steering response. The rack itself is quicker, and the car’s electric power steering has a more powerful pump. Meanwhile, suspension tweaks, along with a more rigid bodyshell and softer springs, are said to have improved ride quality, particularly on pock-marked urban roads.