Toyota Yaris Bulks Up, Becomes Yaris Cross

You won’t like it when it’s angry. Actually, you might, as the Toyota Yaris Cross small crossover seems to have not a mean bone in its body.

Boasting just three cylinders underhood whether in gas-only or hybrid guise, the Yaris Cross is what happens when enthusiasm for subcompact hatchbacks starts to wane, but the automaker doesn’t want to spoil what it already has going for it in that segment.

Riding atop the smallest TNGA platform, this Yaris undercuts the already subcompact C-HR in size by a significant degree, providing a new, cheaper stepping stone to Toyota’s broad range of utility vehicles. The model goes on sale in Japan later this year, with European customers getting a crack at in in mid-2021.

It follows on the heels of the next-generation Yaris revealed overseas late last year, but don’t hold your breath if you’re living in North America. The automaker didn’t mention additional markets. Indeed, Toyota’s Yaris strategy is very different here, with our Yaris not being a Yaris at all, but a facelifted Mazda 2.

The previous-generation, non-Mazda Yaris soldiered on until last year, with sales eventually shrinking to near zero. That said, there’s an argument to be made that, while the Yaris hatch fell out of favor among U.S. customers, a slightly upsized crossover-ish version might go over well. Size and interior volume could prove an issue, though. Remember that this is a smaller vehicle that the C-HR.

Instead, Americans might get an opportunity to get into a larger Corolla Cross in the near future. That model exists in trademark filings, and seems a better fit for the market.

So, Japanese and European buyers will get this. Powered by a 1.5-liter inline-three (with a six-speed manual or continuously variable automatic) or a hybrid drivetrain combining an Atkinson-cycle three-banger and an electric motor, the otherwise front-drive Yaris Cross offers available E-Four electric all-wheel drive. In that hybrid-only variant, the rear axle remains independent from the engine, powered solely by a rear electric motor.

[Images: Toyota]