- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.5i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
80kW, 141Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 6.4L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2011)
2017 Toyota Yaris ZR new car review
Why we're driving it
Toyota's range-topping Yaris ZR now features active safety gear as standard, as well as sharpened looks that arrived as part of a mid-life facelift this year. The Yaris remains popular with Aussie buyers, so we took a closer look at the dearest version of Toyota's most affordable car.
What we like
Toyota is taking active safety seriously, adding autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning and automatic high beams as standard to this model (and others such as the new CH-R). Prices have gone up as a result, but we reckon $650 is a fair sum for those additions as they have the potential to save you from paying an insurance excess (or worse).
Its cute-and-cuddly styling has a new edge that may prove somewhat divisive among customers. While the brand's current styling direction isn't the most elegant look we've seen, you're unlikely to mistake the Yaris for anything other than a new Toyota.
Toyota offers a wide variety of colours for this model, giving customers a choice of 10 shades of paint as long as they're prepared to pay $450 for premium hues.
The Yaris remains one of the cheapest cars in its class to service, with maintenance capped at $140 per service for the first 60,000 kilometres, with work due every six months or 10,000 kilometres. Toyota's reputation for reliability means that the Yaris is likely to retain strong value when you go to move it on.
What we dislike
We've said it before and we'll say it again: Toyota's three-year warranty is behind the times. And its six-month service intervals are inconvenient, too.
The Yaris lags behind rivals for in-car entertainment. You can't have it with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone connectivity, and the cabin generally feels dated in a segment full of bright and tech-laden offerings.
Toyota's 1.5-litre engine and four-speed auto combination offers basic transport with little joy – a better six-speed auto (or Corolla-like CVT) is overdue here. It's also thirstier than it should be, returning an official fuel figure of 6.4L/100km that represents higher fuel use than Volkswagen's family-sized Tiguan 110TSI SUV.
It's also a little dreary to drive compared with sharper rivals such as the Mazda2, Ford Fiesta and Renault Clio. Honestly, this isn't Toyota's best effort.
Would you buy one?
No, not this one.
The Yaris ZR doesn't bring a lot of car for the money at $22,470 plus on-road costs ($23,540 drive-away in June 2017). You could drive away in a larger, more practical and safer Corolla Ascent Sport for just $450 extra – or $1200 if you plump for the Corolla's optional safety pack.
Toyota's Yaris is more convincing in mid-range form, this top-end model doesn't feel special enough to justify its price tag.
If you wanted to look elsewhere, you could do a lot worse than a larger Kia Cerato Sport with a seven-year warranty and plenty of extras for $22,490 drive-away. If you want to stay small, Peugeot's 208 Active can be had for $24,990 drive away (including a $2000 VISA gift card), bringing a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, turbocharged engine with six-speed automatic transmission, Apple CarPlay and five years of capped price servicing.
2017 Toyota Yaris ZR pricing and specifications
Price: From $22,470 plus on-road costs
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
Power: 80kW at 6000rpm
Torque: 141Nm at 4400rpm
Transmission: Four-speed automatic, front-wheel-drive
Fuel use: 6.4L/100km