Toyota Yaris 2022 review: ZR hybrid hatch

The price is the most eyebrow raising element of the new Yaris range. The ZR hybrid we’re looking at here wears an MSRP of $32,200.

That’s not a typo, this new Yaris ZR (at least in hybrid form) is nearly $10,000 more than the previous top-spec ZR auto (which, at the time of its discontinuation, wore an MSRP of $22,670).

How can this possibly be? The Yaris is a huge step forward for the nameplate. It has been merged onto Toyota’s latest TNGA-B architecture, brings with it brand-new engines and a brand-new hybrid system, as well as unprecedented safety inclusions, which all add to its price compared to its comparatively rudimentary predecessor.

The problem is, at $32,200, it sits dangerously close to the larger and critically acclaimed Corolla ZR hybrid ($34,695) which I had the pleasure of testing as a long-termer (spoiler: it was good).

The 7.0-inch multimedia touchscreen comes with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity (Image: Tom White).

It seems, then, the only argument for the Yaris ZR hybrid, at least on the value front, is if you want all the features and convenience of the Corolla in an even more convenient-for-the-city package.

Standard equipment at the ZR level includes 16-inch alloy wheels, full LED headlights with LED tail-lights, a 7.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a digital instrument cluster with a 4.2-inch information display, single-zone climate control, keyless entry and push-start ignition, leather accented steering wheel, and improved soft-touch trims on the inside with a ZR-specific cloth seat upholstery.

The steering wheel is leather accented (Image: Tom White).

This all looks and feels very nice for a small car in this category. However, there are reminders of its small car limitations, in the form of a manual handbrake, hard plastic door cards, and lack of amenities for rear passengers.

Does the extra stuff in this car make it worth considering over a similarly-priced Corolla variant? I say no. You would have to be sold on the size and shape of the new Yaris to make it a worthwhile jump into something smaller with fewer creature comforts.

The Yaris is a city car, so much of its practicality promise is in its tight dimensions which let you dart about tight city streets and make the most of accursed street-side parking locations.

When it comes to the inside though, is it any good? For front passengers, things aren’t bad, but they aren’t great either.

There’s a large bottle holder in the doors, which surprisingly holds a 1.25-litre water bottle, a square bay under the climate unit where the 12V and USB ports live, two more bottle holders in the centre console, an odd, raised bay above the climate controls, and a small glove box.

It is strange there’s no centre console armrest box, and no, unlike the Mazda2, you can’t option one as an accessory. Why? There’s a centre airbag (contributing to the car's impressive maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating) which needs the space to deploy. Unfortunate.

The little storage nooks under and over the climate unit are also a little inconvenient because the surface is a hard plastic. Hard acceleration or cornering will cause objects to slip free very easily. I also found I was frequently running out of space for things on my week with the car.

Rear passenger space is limited in the little Yaris, with doors which don’t open far and a descending roofline leaving taller humans with little headroom.

Rear passenger space is limited in the little Yaris (Image: Tom White).

Legroom is a slightly better story, perhaps owing to this car’s extra length over its predecessor, but still not great. Seat comfort, however, is above par for the segment, with nice, contoured trim and comfy padding.

Unfortunately, this does not extend to the doors, which trade out the furry cardboard stuff for a solid plastic piece. Aside from some medium-sized (think 600ml) pockets in the doors, rear passengers don’t score any amenities like power outlets or adjustable air vents either.

Boot space comes in at 270-litres (VDA). Average for the city-car segment, but in my experience just enough to hold a weekend's worth of gear for a couple.

It will fit either the largest CarsGuide case (124L) on its own, or the two smaller ones with a bit of jiggery-pokery, but certainly not all three.

Hybrid versions of the Yaris ship with one of Toyota’s latest inventions, a 1.5-litre three-cylinder non-turbo engine running on the more efficient (but less powerful) Atkinson cycle.

The engine produces just 67kW/120Nm (Image: Tom White).

The engine produces just 67kW/120Nm but is supported by an electric motor on the front axle, producing 59kW/141Nm.

The combined output with both working in tandem is an about-right-for-the-segment 85kW. Drive is sent to the front wheels via Toyota’s signature CVT automatic, while the electric drive components source their power from a lithium-ion battery pack, as opposed to the old-style nickel-hydride pack in the equivalent Corolla.

Toyota’s long history of easy, efficient hybrid systems is on full show here, and it makes so much sense for the little Yaris.

Fuel consumption on the combined cycle is officially rated at 2.8L/100km, and after my weekly test the ZR returned a computer-reported fuel figure of 3.9L/100km.

While that’s not quite on the money compared to the claim, no segment rival will come anywhere close to that average.

My testing also involved more freeway driving than is perhaps intended for this drivetrain, which, with its electric features, is more suited to stop-start traffic.

A bonus for the back pocket (but perhaps not the environment, this engine is still only Euro 5 complaint) the Yaris ZR hybrid is able to run on entry-level 91RON fuel.

It has a 36-litre fuel tank, which using our real-world fuel figure, equates to a range of more than 900km.

Like all Toyotas, the Yaris range is covered by a five-year and unlimited kilometre warranty which is extendable to seven years on the condition the car is serviced on time at an authorised Toyota service location.

The battery is covered by an industry-leading 10-year and unlimited kilometre warranty, and the Yaris’ service pricing is capped at an astounding $195 per annual (or 15,000km) visit for the first five services.