Designed to follow in the footsteps of the Toyota Starlet supermini, the Yaris was born in the late 1990s as a new global compact car for the 21st century.
To achieve this, Toyota decided that the model should adopt a modern look and implement the latest technological advances, rewriting the rules of compact cars with a revolutionary ‘big-small’ design.
The first taste of this vision came at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show with an all-new concept car, the Funtime, designed at Toyota’s European Office of Creation (Epoc) in Brussels, Belgium. A year later, the first generation Yaris made its autumn debut at the Paris Motor Show. Powering the groundbreaking first generation Yaris was an advanced and efficient 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol unit (nicknamed the Mighty Atom) which delivered power equivalent to a conventional 1.4-litre. A second engine was later introduced during 2000, offering customers of the five-door model an 87PS 1.3-litre VVT-i unit.
In 2001, the Yaris T-Sport arrived with three doors only and equipped with a powerful 1.5-litre VVT-i engine that delivered 106bhp at 6,000rpm, and featured an optimized and performance-oriented chassis, a stiffer chassis and sporty interior. The range of power units was completed in 2002 with a 1.4 liter D-4D diesel.
Quickly becoming a firm favorite with customers across Europe, the Yaris continues to grow with its second generation, launched in 2005. Increased dimensions make it roomier than ever, offering roominess rivaled by C-segment competitors.
Performance and efficiency were improved, as were dynamics and driving comfort, aided by a bodywork with a low drag coefficient (equal to 0.30).
The two body variants (three and five doors) adopt three engines. The new 1.0-litre VVT-i petrol offered efficiency and performance while remaining lightweight, with class-leading power (69PS) and torque (93Nm).
The 1.3-litre VVT-i unit inherited from the previous generation continued to garner praise, offering low-end torque and improved top-end power for a sporty yet comfortable drive. The 1.4-litre D-4D diesel engine had evolved and now produced 90bhp at 3,600rpm. For the Yaris TS – launched at the 2006 Paris Motor Show – the choice fell on a new 1.8-litre 132 HP Dual VVT-i engine which brought the top speed to 194 km/h.
In 2012, the third generation of Yaris revolutionized the compact market by introducing the Full Hybrid engine and becoming the most technically advanced Yaris ever, thus winning the title of first full hybrid vehicle in the B segment.
Thanks to cutting-edge exhaust gas recirculation technology and an electric water pump, the Yaris Hybrid technology has gained best-in-class performance and efficiency with the 100PS powertrain, plus the ability to drive for the first time in all-electric mode, with no tailpipe emissions.
With the third generation of 2017 Yaris not only takes a revolutionary step forward in technical terms, but also in the exterior design. Elegant and sophisticated – with a completely new look – the bodywork is aerodynamically very efficient, and drops the drag coefficient to 0.287.
Toyota’s return to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) in 2017 under Toyota GAZOO Racing leads to the development of the Yaris GRMN in a limited edition of 400 units. In 2018 the Yaris GR Sport also arrives, the first model with these specifications to be launched in Europe. Launched in 2020, the fourth generation Yaris has been engineered to be the safest compact car in the world, thanks to Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) fitted as standard. It is the first compact car to be built on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) GA-B platform.
A return to the ‘big-small’ concept generates an even more dynamic look, with a shorter, wider and lower body than the previous model, and a powerful exterior design that expresses the agility and compactness needed to tackle the road and parking in the city, while maintaining plenty of interior space and excellent levels of comfort. The overall efficiency of the powertrain increases by 22% without any sacrifice in terms of performance which benefits from a total system power of 116 HP. The latest generation of the hybrid powertrain has been optimized for weight, performance and efficiency, enhancing Yaris’ EV driving capabilities. The serenity of the all-electric drive can be enjoyed at speeds of up to 130km/h, while the increased power of the electric motor ensures lively acceleration.
Source: Ansa
I am an author at Global happenings and I mostly cover automobile news. In my time working in the automotive industry, I have developed a keen interest in the latest developments and trends. My writing skills have also allowed me to share my knowledge with others through articles and blog posts.
