When I first saw a light SUV it seemed odd to take a popular light car and raise it several inches. Though almost a decade later, small SUVs have grown in popularity and spawned a range of ‘jacked up’ passenger cars that are attracting buyers looking for an SUV.
The Yaris Cross is a late comer to this light SUV segment and brings a reputation as a terrific and reliable small car; and a hybrid powertrain. As a fleet car, why buy a Yaris Cross when a Yaris will do? As a novated lease, is the Yaris Cross a better option?
The first thing I appreciated was the ride height. Getting in and out of the Yaris Cross was made easier because of the increased height which explains the popularity. In the driver’s seat you forget that it’s a small car. It’s not a cavernous interior but it’s roomy and the designers have made spots to put stuff so everything (sunglasses, tissues, baby wipes, phone) has a place.
While the interior design does create space and storage, I think they have gone too fancy with the front door handles and trim. I found the handles to be an awkward shape. My hand didn’t slide naturally into the lever and required a concentrated effort to get the angle right. It’s the same with the bottle holder in the door. They are deep and oddly shaped. My kids and I use them for rubbish/tissues and the design made it hard to empty.
Driving the Yaris Cross was fun. The increased ride height creates good visibility and the hybrid powertrains doesn’t skip a beat. The GR Sport also has a unique suspension setup to enhance the ride. I wasn’t able to do a back-to-back drive to compare with the standard suspension, though I had no complaints about the GR Sport setup.
The petrol engine does get noisey under load at low speed and I did notice some road noise while driving which I didn’t expect on the range topping model. For $40,438 drive away in NSW for retail buyers (and extended wait times for delivery), I expected a more serene cabin experience to enjoy the six speaker sound system.
To get the full safety pack in a Yaris Cross you need to buy the GXL or Urban models. They come with Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. These aren’t deal braking extras though both have saved me on numerous occasions when reviewing other vehicles.
What you do get is a special A/C feature that cleans the air in the cabin and kills germs on the hard surfaces. It’s called nanoeX air conditioning technology developed by Panasonic and it “inhibits bacteria and viruses, moulds, allergens, pollens, and hazardous substances, as well as deodorising. It penetrates even tightly woven fabrics, including curtains, blinds, carpets and furniture, reaches pollutants on hard surfaces, and helps clean the air that we breathe.”
It’s perfect for two people with a generous sized boot and rear seats that fold flat which will accomodate most larger household purchases. The rear seats can accommodate two people for short trips around town however the teenagers felt cramped and enclosed compared to a RAV4.
If I was buying a car for me to commute or run errands, I would choose a Yaris Cross over a Yaris. The extra size and SUV styling are subtle (I downloaded the spec sheet to check the measurements) yet noticeable. It’s also a perfect second car as taxi for kids which will hold its value better than a Yaris at the end of a novated lease.
