2026 Toyota Yaris Cross facelift revealed as popular light SUV gets a boost to battle Mazda CX-3 and Kia Stonic

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2026 Toyota Yaris Cross
Photo of Tim Nicholson
Tim Nicholson

Managing Editor

2 min read

Toyota has lifted the lid on a new Yaris Cross with a fresh design that should breathe life into the ageing light SUV.

However it looks like we won't see this update Down Under according to a Toyota Australia spokesperson.

"We are always reviewing opportunities to enhance our local line up, however, at this time, there are no current plans to introduce the updated European variant of the Yaris Cross in Australia."

Read More About Toyota Yaris Cross

The facelift for the UK and European spec Yaris Cross introduces a new front-end design with a honeycomb mesh grille finished in the body colour, integrated into the front bumper.

New LED headlight and daytime running light signatures also feature, as does a lower black cladding section, giving the light SUV a more modern look than the current Australian-spec model.

Fresh 17 and 18-inch wheel designs and two new paint options - Precious Bronze with black roof and pillars as well as Persian Salt - are also available.

Changes are more subtle inside where the Yaris Cross gains platinum coloured door trim and new sports seats on some grades.

No changes have been made under the skin. It retains Toyota’s 1.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid powertrain outputting 96kW/185Nm for a 10.7-second 0-100km/h time.

The Australian Yaris Cross also uses a 1.5-litre hybrid setup but it has a lower system output of 85kW and 141Nm.

Toyota launched the Yaris Cross in late 2020 as a rival to the Mazda CX-3, Nissan Juke and Ford Puma.

It was last updated for Australia midway through last year, gaining additional safety tech and some comfort features.

Sales of the Yaris Cross are down by 18.5 per cent in the first quarter of the year, but Toyota has still managed to sell 2456 examples.

It is running second in the light SUV sales segment behind the ageing Mazda CX-3 (3489), but it is ahead of the Suzuki Jimny 4x4 (1958), Koia Stonic (1437) and Hyundai Venue (1352).

Photo of Tim Nicholson
Tim Nicholson

Managing Editor

Calling out the make and model of every single car he saw as a toddler might have challenged his parents’ patience, but it was clearly a starting point for Tim Nicholson’s journey into automotive journalism. Tim launched the program, Fender Bender, on community radio station JOY 94.9 during completion of his Master of Arts (Media and Communications). This led to an entry role at industry publication GoAuto, before eventually taking the role of Managing Editor. A stint as RACV’s Motoring Editor – including being an Australia’s Best Cars judge – provided a different perspective to automotive media, before leading him to CarsGuide where he started as a Contributing Journalist in September 2021, and transitioned to Senior Editor in April 2022, before becoming Managing Editor in December 2022.
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