The world is often unfair, so perhaps no one will be surprised that shining success is not always the best quality. A good example of this is the Toyota Yaris Cross, which has a better small crossover, but many people find it irresistible. And on the streets of Lisbon, I also understood a little why.
It's almost impossible to notice the change in the Toyota Yaris Cross, even though it is already an updated car. Externally, almost nothing has changed, only the more combative-looking GR Sport model is available, but the passenger compartment should also be driven at an advanced level. Where is Waldo?To reveal the redrawn details. I'm glad that the really important improvements are not actually visible, but clearly felt on the Yaris Cross.
Car life in Lisbon isn't easy, but the small hybrid crossover feels right at home here.
In Portugal's largest city, the weather is nice even in the first months of the year, and there is a nice view of the city and the coast, but you have to struggle for this view. In Lisbon, the streets wind up and down narrowly, most of them cobblestone, with trams and gentle electric tuktuks clinging to them, and on their edges the gasping tourists gasping for air. Behind the wheel of the Yaris Cross Hybrid, the city atmosphere does not appear intense, but in places it calmly climbs the steep slope. Elsewhere, the three-cylinder engine feels like it's running without oil, but it's very convenient here that you won't have to fiddle with the clutch and gearbox.
Because the Yaris Cross is small, it maneuvers alarmingly deftly between the walls of nearby houses, and the upper body makes it cool over road bumps and tram tracks. Normally, I wouldn't consider choosing this car over a small classic, but the way it moves around Lisbon is convincing. It's easy to find a parking space for the 4.2 meter long minivan, even near Belém Tower, a popular tourist attraction.
It is immediately clear from all parts that this is not the top of the line car, but a fair use part, and Toyota has rectified its biggest flaw nicely by updating the model. I only really liked the low fuel consumption of the previous Yaris Cross, but with the thicker glass windows and more noise insulation, it feels like a different car. It's not that noticeable while driving, but on coastal roads and highways you have to turn up the JBL's volume much lower to get rid of the wind noise. If I don't give much gas, the grinding of the 1.5-liter three-cylinder isn't intrusive either.
The digital watch cluster's virtual needle moves to the 100 section in just under 11 seconds, but that's just enough for everyday use. Along with the model update came a more powerful hybrid model with a system that produces 132 hp and 185 Nm of torque with the previous 116 hp. The gasoline engine alone has a power of 68 horsepower and 120 Nm of torque. It would be a shame to rush, because so far acceleration feels about as stretched as it does in a two-wheel-drive Prius, surpassed only by the more powerful 2.0-liter Corolla Hybrid. This is really enough if you want to drive with an average fuel consumption of less than 5 litres.
The shapes haven't changed, but the all-digital instrument cluster still makes the somber black-covered interior look more modern.
The way the doors close, the door upholstery is made of hard plastic and is easy to scratch, at these points you can really feel that every penny in the Toyota Yaris Cross had its place. Other than that, it's a decent interior for a modern car that has its own place for your smartphone, small gadgets, and even the dual-zone automatic climate control has physical buttons. The size of the touch screen has increased to 10.5 inches, so you can see the Apple CarPlay image better. This is also in high demand since the factory navigation system is slow and choppy, but really only a few people use such a thing in the age of easy-to-connect phones.
No surprise there, the 2560mm wheelbase can fit into a passenger cabin the size of a small car, so if the front passengers are taller than 180cm, the space on the back seat will feel very tight. If you've outgrown the bloated Yaris, there's the Toyota C-HR, Corolla Cross or hot RAV4, and getting ahead has never been easier.
The colorful Yaris Cross was a perfect fit for Lisbon, as it was littered with graffiti.
Each car was decorated by a different artist in the show, and I chose the Los Pepes work because it reminds me of the 1990 BMW 730i ArtCar that Cesar Manrique owned. On the other hand, here different colors and patterns appear on each element. Megi Prata and Francisco Leal have thrown the Yaris Cross in cheerful colors and shapes, which really shines with typical bold cheerfulness.
What the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid can do, the Honda HR-V can do much better, but we can see from here that this is actually one of many factors, but the Yaris Cross can raise the cup of success.
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