What's the difference?
Lamborghini is a brand built on madness, excess and eye-searing design. Its cars don’t have to make sense, and indeed its owners probably prefer it if they don’t - they have other vehicles to use for the real world.
So, the existence of the new Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato, the world’s first 'All-terrain Supercar', a V10-engined mad machine built to drive sideways at high speed on dirt, should not come as a surprise.
And yet it really does, because there’s never been anything like it before (yes, Porsche has built the 911 Dakar, but it’s more of a sand-dune-climbing, desert-crossing motorsport tribute), for the very good reason that no one ever considered it would be a good idea.
It also sounds just a touch intimidating, the kind of driving experience that would require pro rally driver skills to survive, so it was with some trepidation that we headed to Palm Springs, USA, to test out the new Huracan Sterrato.
Long the domain of first-car buyers and suburbanites winding down on their driving years, the Toyota Yaris is now hybrid-only, and is a far cry from the $15,000-or-so cheap and cheerful staple it once was.
But with its fourth generation a few years into its lifespan, the Yaris is trying to be more than just a basic A-to-B runabout. In fact, the ZR we have on test is more expensive than an entry-grade Volkswagen Polo.
Does more than $30,000 of light hatch really feel worth it once you’re behind the wheel, or are you better off pocketing almost $10,000 to save on one of the thinning pack of rivals?
Not just a spectacularly stupid idea made real, the Lamborghini Sterrato is by far the best, or at least most hilarious, of the many Huracan variants the company has produced.
It makes you feel like a hero, even when you’re going sideways on dirt like a nutter. It could just be my new favourite supercar.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.
The Toyota Yaris is as much car as many people should really need, and it's a refreshing antidote to the largely unnecessary shift towards SUVs as the ‘default vehicle’.
In the case of the ZR grade, the pricing could understandably be a reason you might consider an SUV instead. There are plenty of options for a similar price.
The problem with an SUV though is it will likely be less efficient and, due to physics, less agile and fun to drive.
Given the price and the fact that a couple of features are missing, the ZR probably isn't the variant to go for, but the Yaris is an overall solid foundation for a very convincing hatchback.
Oh yes, it’s pretty interesting, all right, because it breaks new dusty ground for Lamborghini, and its Huracan in particular.
To cope with its intended use, the Sterrato has been raised 44mm higher than the ground-hugging normal version and it’s also had giant, bolt-on style guards attached to make it look a bit wilder.
Also quite noticeable is the huge roof scoop - which renders rear vision from the driver’s seat a complete zero, they may as well throw the mirror away - which has to be there to help the V10 engine breathe.
The side air intakes through which air usually gets to the mid-mounted power plant have been blocked up, because they would have sucked in too much dirt and gravel.
I’m happy to report the silly looking rally style headlights stuck to the Huracan’s shark nose are optional, although again, no doubt every buyer has gone for them, because they stand out in a crowd.
The Huracan Sterrato has no problem doing that on its own, of course, because it already looks extremely aggressive, and its knobbly, all-terrain tyres finish off that style flourish.
The Yaris’ best selling point could very well be its looks. While there are a lot of differences between the ZR and the bespoke GR Yaris hot hatch, they do look similar, especially from the rear.
Any small car like this is going to have an element of ‘cutesy’ about it, but the Yaris does well to look like a more sporting car than its rivals.
The grille is the only big design change Toyota made as part of its most recent update in early 2024. It's a new design that’s finished in partial dark chrome for the ZR.
At the rear, the ZR gets a spoiler above the rear window, helping it look a little more like its Gazoo Racing cousin, as does the block of black trim flanked by the tail-lights and the ‘Yaris’ and ‘ZR’ badges.
Even its front lower bumper would look reasonably at home on a more powerful car if the plastic trim at the sides had actual air vents rather than being closed off.
Inside, things are less exciting. The ZR’s interior seems plasticky and its grey cloth seats do nothing to make the space feel premium.
The ‘two-level’ look on the dash and the arrangement of the multimedia screen and climate controls below it feel outdated, but the cabin is (perhaps more importantly) clear and functional.
Next question, please. You don’t get cupholders, there’s not really anywhere to put your phone and the cabin generally feels as roomy as a phone box that’s been through the wash and shrunk quite badly.
There’s a frunk that can barely hold two small backpacks and that’s about it. If you want practical space, buy an Urus. The Huracan Sterrato is not a practical car, but that’s not part of its design brief.
For all its grey trim, the Yaris actually proves a very usable space for its size. The two front ‘sports’ seats are quite comfortable with decent bolstering.
The steering wheel is nicely shaped, and big clear buttons (like most of the cabin) mean controls for all the car’s functions are obvious.
The digital driver display is customisable in terms of its style, but the information you might need is easy to find and not distracting while you’re trying to concentrate on the road. The head-up display also helps there.
The physical climate control panel isn’t exactly ‘pretty’ but it’s infinitely better than needing to navigate through the screen above.
That screen itself is also easy to use. Toyota’s multimedia systems can feel outdated but the upside is there aren't loads of submenus to get lost in.
Storage is well covered: two cupholders are out of the way of elbows, plus a little storage space behind that between the front seats. There’s a small space behind the gear shifter for a phone, a couple of small 'shelf' spaces above and in front of the passenger, and there are decently spacious door card places for water bottles and the like.
In the second row, behind my own (178cm) seating position, ‘spacious’ is less applicable. It’s not surprising that the second row in a light hatch would be a little tight for an adult, but it’s not restrictive and some kindness from the front passengers could see the back seats become a comfy place for a sub-60-minute trip.
There’s no centre armrest, but each door has a water bottle holder and the aforementioned storage spot between the front seats is accessible from the second row.
Behind the rear seats, there’s a 270-litre boot which is decent for its class. The non-hybrid Mazda2, for example, has 250L.
The boot floor can be lifted to sit flush with the seats when folded down, and underneath there is a space-saver spare tyre, which is a huge plus.
Well, considering every Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato will almost certainly go up in value and become a collector’s item you’d have to consider them good value, at least in investment terms.
On the other hand, any car with a price tag of $503,949, before on-road costs, sits somewhat adjacent to the word “value”.
That large number has not put enthusiasts off, however, with all 1499 of the limited-run Sterrato Huracans already sold, and a long list of people with their names down hoping that someone gets scared and changes their mind, apparently.
Our vehicle came with two built-in cameras, which you could operate through the touchscreen to record Tik Tok-length videos of your driving.
This is almost certainly a cost option, but no one could tell us exactly, and all of the cars are already sold, no doubt to people who ticked every single option box.
Oh, and you do get aluminium floor mats. Nice.
In the grand scheme of new-car pricing, $34,530 before on-road costs doesn’t sound like a lot of money. That’s how much the Yaris ZR is new.
But compared to other top-spec trims in rival models, it’s one of the most expensive in its class.
It battles the Mazda2 ($28,190 for the top-spec GT), Suzuki Swift ($29,490 for the Hybrid GLX), MG3 ($32,819 for the Essence Hybrid+) and VW Polo ($34,790 for the Style). Only the Polo is more expensive as its top-level variant.
Regardless of the size of the car, the Yaris ZR is missing a couple of extra things that could make it feel properly top-of-the-range.
It’s not missing the essentials though. After an update in early 2024 it comes with a decent 8.0-inch multimedia display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus an adequate six-speaker sound system.
On top of those Yaris standards, the ZR gets a 7.0-inch digital driver display, keyless entry, a head-up display, 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic air-conditioning with an air purifier and ‘premium cloth fabric’ for the sports-style seats.
It could do with a wireless phone charger and perhaps even leather seats - the latter available in the more affordable Mazda2 GT. Cloth seats and a cable to charge your phone don’t feel very ‘top-spec’. There are, however, two USB-C charging ports for doing so.
Premium paint colours (anything that’s not Glacier White) are $575, while the two-tone look with the black roof (available with Coral Rose, Bronx Bronze and Massive Grey) is $775. Our test car is Massive Grey with the two-tone black roof.
The Sterrato is powered by a Lamborghini engine that’s on its way into the history books, a 5.2-litre V10 that will die with this, the last variant of the Huracan.
Its replacement will be powered by a V8 hybrid, which will no doubt be more powerful but simply will not sound as amazing.
The version in the Sterrato has been detuned slightly, partly because of the breathing issues - you just can’t get as much air into an engine when it’s driving through its own self-propelled dust storm - and because of its all-terrain tyres, the first ever to be speed rated to 260km/h.
It still makes an impressive, and very loud, 449kW (602hp) and 560Nm, however. I’d describe it as “more than enough”.
That monster engine is matched with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and a very, very clever all-wheel drive system.
The Toyota Yaris is a hybrid-only offering, with all variants powered by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that makes 67kW/120Nm and a 59kW/141Nm front motor-generator.
Toyota quotes a combined output of 85kW and doesn’t specify a total torque figure.
The electric motor draws power from a 4.3Ahr lithium-ion battery and is able to drive under electric-only power at low speeds.
So, Lamborghini claims the Huracan Sterrato will deliver a fuel "economy" figure of 14.9 litres per 100km, which seems like a lot, until you consider it probably won't get anywhere near that, if you drive it the way you're supposed to, particularly foot flat and wheels spinning on dirt.
Again, fuel economy is not a core value for this car, nor its buyers.
An 80-litre tank means a theoretical range of around 480km.
Toyota claims a 3.3L/100km fuel economy figure under the combined WLTP cycle, and says it produces 76g of CO2 per kilometre.
With its 36-litre fuel tank, theoretically the Yaris should be able to travel almost 1100km on a single tank, though even Toyota admits the 3.3L/100km fuel economy figure was obtained in a lab (as is usually the case) and doesn’t reflect real-world driving.
For reference, on test the Yaris ZR didn’t display a fuel economy figure of more than 5.0L/100km during reasonable standard driving conditions.
I could give you the short version of what it was like to drive the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato at speed on a specially prepared dirt race track, which would be to say that I have never, ever had so much fun in a car, but that would be selling it short.
While the Sterrato is clearly built to do one insensible thing brilliantly, while somehow not imperilling the life of its driver, what is most incredible about it is how good it is at everything else, as well.
To create this Huracan, Lamborghini had to increase the ride height significantly, soften up the suspension and increase its amount of travel.
It also had to ask Bridgestone nicely to produce a tyre unlike anything the world has ever seen, an all-terrain tread capable of dealing with dirt and gravel and yet also grippy enough to be used on a sealed race track, or to carve up your favourite mountain pass.
It also had to be capable of being speed rated to 260km/h, or about 100km/h faster than any all-terrain tyre Bridgestone has ever produced before.
Looking at the unique Dueler All-Terrain AT002s, with their chunky tread, you would assume that the Sterrato is going to be noisy, slippery and possibly a little rough on public roads, but that’s not the case at all.
This Huracan rides more smoothly - largely thanks to those suspension tweaks - and more quietly than its forebears, and it’s actually more practical around town as well, thanks to the ride height. So, no more flinching at speed bumps.
The tyres also provide proper supercar levels of grip on public roads, even those dusted with a bit of desert sand.
There’s a bit of squirm at the rear and under hard braking, but overall the experience is typically Lamborghini Huracan wonderful, all playing out to a soundtrack that is beyond beautiful from that howling V10.
The first part of our track experience at the Chuckwallah Raceway was also familiarly fantastic, the Huracan ripping around the sealed track at astonishing speed; it certainly doesn’t feel detuned.
Lamborghini had gone to the trouble of mirroring the sealed circuit with a specially constructed dirt track in the infield, so that 50 per cent of our lap would be spent sideways in ankle deep, dust, sand and rocks, much of it through long, long bends, with the occasional chicane set up specially for Scando flicking action.
Now, I am not, by any means, an expert at drifting, nor an accomplished rally driver, so I was, to put it mildly, shit scared of getting this half-million-dollar, limited-edition, 449kW monster on to the dirt section.
I feared I would spin around, or flip upside down, or find some other way to embarrass myself, but what happened when I got there was beyond inexplicable, and beyond joy.
This car is so clever, so easy to drive, so beautifully balanced, that it can turn a total newb into Colin McRae. His name comes to me because the whole experience reminded me of driving a rallying video game, it felt unreal, and yet overpoweringly visceral at the same time.
I could start a drift with the slightest flex of the throttle, then balance the car as it pivoted around a bend before nailing the throttle and haring off to the next fantastic drifting opportunity.
When we got back on the sealed stuff, the car would shake like mad, at 200km/h, as the dust attempted to get its way out of the wheels, but that just added to the excitement.
The secret wasn’t that I’d somehow become a better driver, it was what Lamborghini engineers call, accurately, “the hero maker”.
It’s a software and hardware package called LDVI, or 'Lamborghini Dinamica Veicolo Integrata', which, when you put the Sterrato in 'Rally' mode, uses many sensors combined with torque vectoring and selective braking to keep you going where you want to go, with minimal intervention.
Or at least minimal intervention that you can feel, which makes you feel like a hero.
I kind of understand how it works, but I totally relate to how it makes you feel. Like a genius. And you’d pay $500K for that, surely?
A series of factors that make the Yaris an excellent car for the inner-city also happen to make it engaging from behind the wheel.
Its small footprint and relatively low kerb weight are key to this, but it's also built on Toyota’s excellent TNGA platform which, in one form or another, underpins most of the brand's line-up.
It means the Yaris has characteristics that align with other Toyotas - it feels related to a Camry or a RAV4, even if it doesn't behave in the same way physically.
The Yaris is understated in how it behaves on the road during regular driving, quietly switching between hybrid and electric mode, rarely letting the engine get coarse unless you put your foot down for more power.
And while the Yaris isn't quick by any means, there's just enough urgency to get you out of trouble should you need it. It's not a drivetrain that encourages spirited driving, but if you should choose to do so you'll find some surprising capability in the way the Yaris is set up.
Steering that feels light and accurate day-to-day is handy when it comes to steering the Yaris quickly on twisting roads, and the platform underneath does well to keep the light hatch and its short wheelbase in check.
It doesn't feel like it's ready to 'bounce’ off bumps and uneven road surfaces like some similarly sized hatches did even a generation or two ago, and while one wouldn't imagine the Yaris hybrid is choice number one for a weekend driver, there's still fun to be had.
But in urban environments the Yaris is in its element, and its efficient engine and small footprint make it ideal for inner-city traffic and parking.
In a V10-engined supercar you’re meant to drive on dirt? You’ve come to the wrong place.
Okay, so there’s no crash rating, and there won’t be, but you do get AEB, driver, passenger, and side airbags along with knee airbags as well as front and rear-specific collapsible areas, reinforcement bars in the doors. Oh, and Electronic Stability Control.
The Yaris ZR is pretty well stocked when it comes to safety features, more so than the lower variants in the range. Great for the ZR, a bit of a let-down for the others.
It comes with all the necessary kit including auto emergency braking (AEB) with a pre-collision safety system that “recognizes motorcycles and oncoming vehicles in addition to cyclists, pedestrians and vehicles ahead”.
It also has daytime intersection collision avoidance, daytime emergency steering assist, active radar cruise control and lane trace assist, auto high beam, road sign recognition, blind spot monitor, parking support, safe exit assist and a rear parking camera with parking sensors at the front and rear.
The Yaris also has eight airbags, which is a decent count for a light hatch. There are also ISOFIX points on the rear outboard seats.
In 2020 ANCAP tested the Yaris for a five-star result, though that result expires in December 2026 and the testing criteria has since changed to become stricter.
If you’re a driver who prefers minimal technological intervention (read: beeps and bings or the steering nudging you around) the Yaris’ safety kit does a very good job of remaining in the background unless it’s really needed.
The Huracan Sterrato comes with a Lamborghini warranty good for three years with unlimited kilometres.
It also comes with 24/7 roadside assist for an unspecified amount of time. It is also offered with pre-paid scheduled maintenance service for three or five years.
Toyota offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty which covers the Yaris, as well as capped-price servicing for the first five years/75,000km - whichever comes first.
Intervals are 12 months/15,000km for servicing and each costs $250.
If servicing is undertaken at Toyota dealerships, Toyota extends the engine and driveline warranty from five to seven years. It also increases the hybrid battery warranty to ten years “as long as you undertake your annual inspection as part of routine maintenance according to the vehicle logbook”.
There’s also seven years of conditional emergency assistance related to car hire or towing expenses while Toyota is maintaining the car.