Liana  Reiners reviews the Toyota Yaris T3, and is impressed by its “trendiness”; just one of many great reasons to buy one.

Toyota Yaris Hatch never fails to impress

What defines something or someone as being trendy? The clothes you wear? Sure. The company you keep? Obviously. Where you live and work? Probably. What you drive? Most definitely. Enter the Toyota Yaris hatch. A car that never fails to impress me, no matter how many times I drive it.

T3's target market is the trendy professional

Price: From R123 000 To R146 500 Article Options Email to Friend Print Article Remove from Favorites Add to Favorites Remove from 'Articles to Read' Add to 'Articles to Read'

When the Yaris T3 was introduced locally roughly two years ago, Toyota’s target market was the so-called trendy set. They’re described as an ever-expanding group of influential spenders with a youthful outlook on life who want to add an element of style to their urban transport. Their average age is around twenty-nine and their careers are blossoming. They’re successful, driven and the future powerhouse of the economy. They’re ambitious and seeing as they can’t afford that shiny red sports car just yet, they need a set of reliable, practical, comfortable and affordable – but very trendy – set of wheels.

Toyota Yaris T3 is the perfect ladies car too

However, if like me you can’t even remember what it feels like to be twenty-nine, don’t despair. As mentioned in a review of the Yaris T1 elsewhere on this site, this is the perfect ladies car.

It offers up-to-the-minute technology and styling, responsive handling and steering, ride comfort, a host of safety features and a perky yet frugal engine. What more could any woman – or a twenty-niner, for that matter – ask for? Especially seeing as there are three specification levels – the T3, the T3+ and the T3 Spirit – to choose from.

More spacious than it looks

Anyone who says that the Yaris seems larger than its small car size will be spot on as that was a defined design objective. It certainly packs a lot into a small package.

Speaking of small packages. While the Yaris is one of the smallest vehicles in its class in terms of exterior dimension, it certainly isn’t small on interior space. It boasts plenty of passenger and boot space. Add to this Toyota’s so-called Easy Flat system that converts the area behind the front seats to a flat floor space at the pull of a lever and you have a new interior with more than enough room for all those Hilton Weiner, Diesel, YDE and Aca Joe shopping bags.

Incidentally, the 60/40 split rear seats boast both slide and recline movements.

Toyota Yaris is practical, safe and stylish

These practical elements are well balanced by a sense of safety and style, with the Yaris designed to meet advanced international safety standards, be eco friendly, have the highest quality built in and offer great value.

On the safety side, the Yaris hatch was rewarded with a Euro NCAP five-star safety rating. Here Toyota’s Minimum Intrusion Cabin System - or MICS - proved itself in minimising cabin damage and intrusion. Add to this ABS brakes with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and brake assist (BAS), as well as airbags for both driver and passenger. Spirit owners also get the benefit of side airbags, curtain airbags and a knee airbag on the driver’s side.

T3 is environment-friendly too

So not only is the Yaris a safe haven for its occupants, it’s friendly to the environment too. Smoking is very last season, so the 1,3-litre, four-cylinder all-aluminium engine of the Yaris is Euro IV emission compliant. An advanced multipoint fuel-injection system and VVTi, or variable valve timing – intelligent, together with a 16-valve, double overhead camshaft cylinder head sees to that.

And for those who were wondering, maximum power is rated at 63 kW at 6 000 r/min, peak torque at 121 Nm at 4 400 r/min and top speed for all models is in the region of 170 km/h. 

Quality Toyota finishes

As no twenty-niner worth her weight in trendy sportswear would be seen dead in anything cheap or tacky, quality finishes abound in the Yaris. The design team has excelled in using new surface treatments to impart a high-quality, modern look and feel to the inside of the vehicle. Trim panels and seats are also designed with a quality finish in mind and to this end there are no stitch lines visible on the seat covers.

Toyota Yaris T3 offers great optional accessories

Our ability to accessorise is what separates us from the animals and here the Yaris doesn’t disappoint either. There is a whole range of approved accessories available, ranging from a bodykit, alloy wheels and an aluminium pedal set to side window visors and clear rear combination lamps.

There’s one other interesting tit-bit about the Yaris that I want to share with you. For once in the world of high fashion and new trends South Africa actually beat Europe to the line. The Yaris was launched locally a full two months ahead of its European introduction.

What of the price, you may ask? Well, the most expensive model in the T3 line-up is the Spirit, priced at R146 500. There’s also the T3+ and the T3+ auto, priced at R131 600 and R141 800 respectively. The T3 with air-conditioning will set you back R123 000.