Being a lightweight SUV, the Yaris Cross must be good to drive round city, and we are able to fortunately report it very a lot is, however that doesn’t imply it’s not with out its shortcomings.
As talked about, the City 2WD petrol’s engine isn’t precisely a powerhouse, however that’s not precisely a problem in metropolis visitors, the place it may plod together with ease.
Nonetheless, if you might want to make a fast manoeuvre or need to overtake a slower automobile, then it ‘rapidly’ turns into obvious simply how relaxed the City 2WD petrol is. For sure, it’s straight-line efficiency might be summed up in a single phrase: torpid.
Whereas value would’ve possible been the deciding issue, it’s a surprise Toyota didn’t put the C-HR’s 85kW/185Nm 1.2-litre turbo-petrol three-cylinder engine within the Yaris Cross, as its low-down torque would’ve been very a lot appreciated.
That stated, Yaris Cross patrons can as a substitute go for its hybrid powertrain, which comes with the advantage of ‘instantaneous torque’, which is afforded by its electrical motors.
We’d positively be spending the additional cash to go low-emissions (don’t fear about getting the almost-pointless AWD model), even when it does take a while for the gasoline financial savings to make up the price distinction.
It’s price mentioning the City 2WD petrol’s CVT isn’t in charge right here. In reality, it’s among the finest we’ve sampled to this point.
Whereas typically dreaded, this model has a mechanical first gear, which makes for rather more pure off-the-line or low-speed acceleration (learn: progressive).
In reality, the perfect praise we are able to pay is how lengthy it took us to recollect there was a CVT available within the first place. Significantly, it was fairly some time.
And even when travelling at velocity, the City 2WD petrol doesn’t rapidly bounce round to increased engine speeds when the accelerator is breathed upon. As a substitute, it bides its time and largely does the appropriate factor.
That’s to not say it doesn’t get noisy. If you happen to bury your proper foot, it is going to go after peak energy with out hesitation, exposing the droning aspect of the City 2WD petrol’s engine, which normally emits its characterful thrum in brief spurts.
In the meantime, the Yaris Cross rides comfortably within the city jungle, with the City 2WD petrol’s suspension set-up consisting of a MacPherson-strut entrance axle and a rear torsion beam.
The latter tends to skip a bit over rolling bumps, however it’s in any other case greater than competent alongside the previous, absorbing practically all different street imperfections.
In tow is the electrical energy steering system that’s employed by all 9 Yaris Cross variants. It’s well-balanced for suburban driving, proving to be fast sufficient with simply the correct amount of weight and sufficient suggestions.
The Yaris Cross isn’t shy of a nook, both, taking the chance to indicate off its sturdy physique management (one benefit of the City 2WD petrol’s 1185kg kerb weight), even when it does typically push huge when pushed exhausting. Yep, dealing with is one more sturdy swimsuit.
