The Japanese car maker is broadening its hybrid horizons with its new small Yaris hybrid. It also showed its GT 86 sports car and a brace of concept cars.
Parkers Pick – Yaris Hybrid
- What is it? This is a small hatchback with a petrol/electric powertrain – Hybrid Synergy Drive to be precise.
- Vital stats and facts: The headline fact? Well, it’s the potential 80mpg fuel economy along with 79g/km of CO2 emissions. The Yaris is Toyota’s best-selling car in Europe but this will be the new flagship of the range. It shares the same new-design ‘face’ of Toyota as its conventionally powered models, but places priority on aerodynamic efficiency. Under the bonnet is a new 1.5-litre petrol engine with a more compact electric motor, transaxle and battery pack. The result is a system that is 20% lighter than that used in the Auris Hybrid, but it still manages to offer a total power output of 98bhp. There’s 286 litres of luggage capacity on offer, the same as conventional petrol and diesel Yarises.
- Why would you buy it? This is tree-hugger heaven and if you are a right-on, left-leaning couple called Toby and Harriet with decent charity jobs in West London, it will be right up your street. Spacious enough, decent fuel economy and low emissions.
- Why wouldn’t you? It’ll probably be pricier than the conventionally powered Yaris and you might have bought the rival Honda Jazz hybrid already.
- Prices and launch date: The starting price will be just under £15,000 and it’ll go on sale in early summer.
What else is on the stand?
The GT 86 sports car was on show. On sale later in 2012, this rear-wheel-drive coupe promises an extremely engaging drive and a fairly low list price of £25,000.
Toyota also showed the FT-Bh, NS4 and FCV-R concepts, which all showcase different innovations in powertrain development. The FT-Bh is a lightweight hybrid, while the NS4 is a plug-in hybrid. The FCV-R is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. To read sister title Car Magazine’s full story on the NS4 click here.
The Diji is an interesting concept vehicle which used to be known as the Fun-Vii. The interior and exterior colours of the car can be changed at the whim of the driver. You can display anything you want and even connect to cars around you.
For more news from the Geneva Motor Show 2012, click here.
