(continued from above)
Positioned at the heart of the small car market, 2012 Toyota Yaris will
appeal both to technology-focused customers and those motorists for whom
quality, practicality and value for money are the key considerations when
choosing a new car.
The Toyota Touch audio system, including touchscreen
controls, is fitted as standard to all but the entry level Yaris, additionally
providing Bluetooth, a USB port and a rear parking camera. This can be upgraded
to the Toyota Touch and Go system which provides full map satellite navigation
and access to a range of connected information services that can be accessed and
downloaded via a dedicated Toyota customer portal.
Exterior Design of
2012 Yaris
Since the first Yaris was launched in 1999, each
successive generation of the car has been developed according to the same
concept: "compact outside, yet roomy inside. 2012 Toyota Yaris inherits the
fundamental clever packaging of the first two generations of the car, but
clothed in exterior styling that is bolder, sharper and more eye-catching.
The car's overall length is 153 inches (3,885 mm), just 3.9 inches (100 mm)
longer than the previous Yaris, which means new Yaris remains one of the most
compact models in its class. This is reflected in a class-leading turning
circle, which makes for agile performance in city driving.
The overall
width remains unchanged at 66.7 inches (1,695 mm), while the height has been
reduced by an inch (20 mm) to 59.4 inches (1,510 mm), giving the car a lower
center of gravity and a sportier stance. The wheelbase has been extended by 2
inches (50 mm), and the short front and rear overhangs and prominent wheel
arches further emphasize the car's agility.
Central to the new styling is
a change in the proportions of the upper and lower grilles, with the latter
rendered larger than before.
The full-width, concave upper grille is
flanked by new, horizontal headlights, which have a slim design that
incorporates dual lamps and, on some grades, smoke-finished 'eyebrow' plates.
These emphasize the bolder, horizontal lines of the new car's styling.
In
profile, 2012 Toyota Yaris's dynamic qualities are expressed in a more
prominent, steeply sloping beltline, while the base of the A-pillar has been
moved forwards to strengthen the 'cab-forward' look. The increase in the rake of
the windscreen helps improve the car's drag coefficient to a class-leading Cd
0.287.
New 15 and 16-inch alloy wheel designs are available for 2012
Toyota Yaris, and there is a choice of 10 exterior colors. Five shades are new
to the range and two - Deep Aqua and Burning Red - are completely new.
At
the rear the detailing of the lamp clusters, the top-hinged tailgate inset into
the bumper and the treatment of the lower bumper are all visually interlinked,
again maintaining Yaris's trademark 'Y' pattern graphic. Setting the number
plate higher beneath a chrome bar trim adds a premium touch to the design
execution.
Toyota Yaris SR: Review (2/2)
