2021 Toyota Yaris Cross

By Alex Forrest

Sure, it still has Yaris in its name, but this is a very different vehicle from the Toyota Yaris you may know in the traditional sense.

Firstly, like the Kia Stonic also reviewed in this edition, the Yaris Cross is a city SUV. It’s designed more for those who want a taller ride height and slightly more road presence than a regular small hatchback, but with similarly low running costs and easy-to-park dimensions.

As such, in the Toyota SUV range, the Yaris Cross sits just below the CH-R small SUV, which Toyota introduced in Australia in February 2017.

The Yaris Cross is also unusual because it can be had as a hybrid, making it the first car in the city SUV class to get a hybrid powertrain.

It’s spirited to drive around town but very economical at the same time, and day-to-day running costs are low, which is helped by the fact it can use 91 RON fuel.

However, the initial purchase price is high compared to other city SUVs, with the cheapest petrol-only model starting at $30,500, and the cheapest hybrid model costing $32,619.

The Yaris Cross comes in three model grades, being the GX, GXL and Urban. All three of these can be had with a petrol-only engine and front wheel drive, a petrol/electric hybrid in front wheel drive, or petrol/electric hybrid with all-wheel drive.

A particularly likeable aspect of the Yaris Cross is its CVT transmission, which responds quickly and keeps acceleration smooth when the driver needs it and is totally fuss-free at parking speeds.

There are some negatives about the Yaris Cross which buyers will need to consider. Firstly, it’s notably more expensive than some of the competition.

For the top-of-the-range all-wheel drive hybrid Yaris Cross, you’ll need $42,450 drive away, though that does get you plenty of safety features including a centre airbag. You also have that hybrid system, which brings big driveability and fuel economy benefits.

The other pitfall is that if you plan to do some towing, the petrol-only version will be the best choice as its braked towing limit is 1250kg, whereas the hybrid’s is 400kg.