Toyota is going to launch the Yaris in India in the month of April. The Japanese manufacturer's Honda City-rival will also take on other popular sedans in this💝 segment like the Hyundai Verna, the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Volkswagen Vento and the Skoda Rapid. If you have already finalised on buying the Yaris, well, you can click here to know more about its bookings that are already underway.
But if you're still wond🍌ering how it fares against its rivals on paper, we ha𓆉ve got the answer.
Dimensions:
*Singapore-spec ﷽Yaris used for reference. We expect no major changes in dimensions of ဣthe India-spec Yaris
The Toyota Yaris won’t set any new standards when it comes to exterior dimensions. It’s neither expected to be the longest nor the tallest car in its segment, but will be at par with the widest car in the segment, the Ciaz.That said, it might have the shortest wheelbase amongst competition. While that might result in the least legroom inside the cabin, we’ll save the judgement 🔜until we test it.
We saw th💫e India-spec Yaris first at the Auto Expo 2018, and here’s what we feel about its looks and d📖esign.
Engine:
Toyota will offer the Yaris with a petrol engine only. It will be a 1.5-litre unit that is more powerful than that of the Ciaz, Rapid and the Vento. However, the Yaris will not be the most powerful car in its class as the Verna’s 1.6-litre and the City’s 1.5-litre petrol engines ma⭕ke significantly more power. The Vento is the only sedan in this comparison to feature a turbocharged petrol engine, although it's not the most powerful unit here.
Transmission duties on the Yaris will𒁃 be handled by a 6-speed manual or a CVT with paddle shifters. Other cars in this comparison are also ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚoffered with both manual and automatic transmission options.
Both the Yaris and the City get CVT with paddle shifters, while the Verna, Ciaz and the Rapid are available with a torque converter unit. CVTs are more fuel efficient than torque converters, in general. The Honda City, equipped with a CVT, returns 18kmpl, which is more than its manual version by 0.6kmpl. Hence, we 🦂expect the Yaris to deliver manual-like fuel efficiency figures in its automatic avatar.
The Vento is the only petrol-powered automatic car in this segment that gets a dual-clutch automatic transmission. Its 7-speed DSG gearbox is mated to the 1.2L TSI engine. A dual-clutch transmission is widely regarded as more technologically advanced compared to CVTs and torque-converters. Having two clutches not only quicke꧂ns the gear shifts but also makes the transition from one gear to another smoother.
Features:
Evenﷺ though the entire feature list isn't out yet, Toyota has revealed a few goodies the Yaris will get. The Yaris will pack some segment-first features like front parking sensors, power-adjustable front seats, 7 airbags, tyre pressure monitoring system and roof mounted rear AC vents.
All cars in this comparison get features like touchscreen in🧜fotainment system, climate control, rear parking sensors, and alloy wheels in the top variants. The Yaris will also follow suit as suggested by the VX variant showcased at the Auto Expo. The City and the Verna are currently equipped with 6 airbags in their top variants, but the Yaris will trump that by oꦇffering 7. Sunroof, a feature that might not be the most practical but is still sought-after in India, might not be on offer on the Yaris. So, the City and the Verna will continue to be the only cars in this segment to get a sunroof.
Prices (ex-showroom Delhi):
We expect Toyota to price the Yaris in the range of Rs 9 lakh to Rs 14 lakh. At that pricღe, the Yaris might be the most expensive car of the lot but it is expected to pack a long l🏅ist of features to justify the premium.