Selwyn Times: October 07, 2020

28 Selwyn Times Wednesday October 7 2020
New Yaris draws on links to Daihatsu
IT’S PROBABLY the Toyota Motor
Company’s best kept secret, it is the
sole owner of Daihatsu.
Daihatsu used to be well
represented in New Zealand, its
range of small cars were popular,
especially in times of fuel shortages
and high fuel prices, the threecylinder
engines that characterised
many of the models were
economical, honest and charming.
As recent history has served
to prove, Daihatsu is no longer
marketed new in New Zealand,
but you can guarantee the threecylinder
engine technology that
Daihatsu developed through the
years has been widely scrutinised
by Toyota when it developed the
fourth-generation Yaris.
Yes, the brand new Yaris is very
much a departure from the old
model. There are hybrid options,
and each of the four variants is
powered by a 1.5-litre three-pot
engine. Sure, most of Daihatsu’s
three-cylinder engines were just
999c, but I’m picking the basic
engine construction bears many
similarities to the faithful units
Daihatsu pumped out in the
hundreds of thousands.
Not only does the new Yaris
have rather special drivelines, it
also incorporates a tasteful, fresh
body style, it is curvy with just
the right amount of design flair. It
looks youthful and almost daring,
the test car was finished in a lime
green with black accents, it looked
terrific and gained favourable
comment during the time I had the
evaluation car in my care.
The newcomer starts at $25,990
for the non-hybrid GX, the subject
of this evaluation. I’m due to drive
the two ZR models soon, they list
at $29,990 (petrol) and $32,990
(petrol/electric). There’s also a GX
hybrid which lists at $27,990. These
are all prices which will bring cheer
to the fuel-conscious buyer, for not
only are you getting good value
but you will benefit from frugal
efficiency of small capacity engines.
Toyota claims a 4.9-litre per
100km combined cycle average
for the petrol-only Yaris, that
against 3.3l/100km for the hybrid.
Both are excellent figures and
are achievable, well at least in
the petrol-only model. The GX I
tested went back to the dealership
showing 5.6l/100km on the
readout, that was gleaned through
a long highway drive along the
Scenic Route/SH 72. At 100km/h
the engine ticks over slowly at just
2000rpm, returning an amazing
instantaneous figure of 3.8l/100km.
The engine is a feisty little unit
which delights with its harmonics.
TOYOTA YARIS GX: Cheeky styling and bright colours for
fourth-generation model.
Three-cylinder engines have a
specific tone, they all do it, and
that is something we’ll all need to
adjust to, engines of this type are
being churned out by a multitude
of manufacturers these days, and
they all have similar sound and
characteristics.
They also develop a lot of natural
torque, pulling from low in the
rev band and, when coupled to a
continuously variable automatic
transmission, there is a lot of natural
freedom, the two elements combine
to provide a seamless flow of power.
Toyota lists the newcomer with a
power figure of 88kW. If you add in
145Nm of torque from 4800rpm to
5200rpm, they are the ingredients
which make the three-potter so
special, it hauls solidly all through
the rev band, peaking at 6600rpm
and delighting as it revs through.
Acceleration is relatively smart
for its role with a 10.8sec standstill
to 100km time, while it will also
complete an overtaking manoeuvre
(80-120km/h) in 7sec.
I’ve made no secret over the
years of my enthusiasm for triple
engines, and the Yaris’ unit is one
of the best, it is a delight in terms
of honesty and its thrifty nature
speaks for itself. I was relatively
enthusiastic when I drove the
car, yet it still delivered good
economy.
The long, straight roads of
Canterbury don’t have many
corners, but I did deviate to a
road which has some tight bends
which always tax a chassis and
suspension. I found the Yaris
to have traditional handling
qualities; typically Toyota it has
solid steering feel and moderate
suspension settings which contain
well a tall body height (1.5m) from
gravitational movement.
Even though the rear suspension
• Price – Toyota Yaris GX,
$25,990
• Dimensions – Length,
3940mm; width, 1695mm;
height, 1500mm
• Configuration – Threecylinder,
front-wheeldrive,
1490cc, 88kW,
145Nm, continuously
variable automatic.
• Performance –
0-100km/h, 10.8sec
• Fuel usage – 4.9l/100km
is a simplistic torsion beam type
and the tyres are on the small
size at 185/60 x 15in, there is an
encouraging amount of grip. Bear
in mind that in GX form the Yaris
gets steel wheels with plastic trim
covers. There’s nothing wrong
with that, when you are buying a
$25k you should expect just the
essentials.
In saying that, while the
interior trim has just the basics
the Yaris still gets a solid suite of
safety spec and nothing has been
compromised with that.
If you aren’t satisfied with the
GX level of trim, the extra $4k that
will get you in ZR spec adds more
of the niceties that today’s new car
buyer is often looking for.
If you look at the Yaris’ history it
goes way back past Toyota Echo to
Starlet. The latter served my wife
brilliantly for many years, it owes
its origins to Daihatsu, it came off
that company’s production line
and was testament to the quality
both organisations incorporate as
automobile manufacturers.
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