Toyota Yaris Delivers the Scores High Marks in Liftback Versatility

The Toyota Yaris, the brand’s fun, efficient compact model, offers the only choice of three-door or five-door liftback models in the segment. Both combine sporty styling with high value from a long roster of standard equipment and safety features, including nine airbags. VehiclesTEST's Yaris video road test provides a close look at all these features.

The Yaris delivers a high level of refinement in the entry segment, making it an ideal commuter vehicle..  The Yaris offers younger, price-conscious shoppers a comprehensively equipped small car with big fuel economy numbers, a roomy interior and of course the brand’s well high QDR (Quality, Dependability and Reliability). New for 2014, daytime running lights (DRLs) are standard on all models

The Yaris line offers five models for 2014: three- and five door models in L and LE grades and the sporty five-door-only SE grade.

Liftback body styles dominate the subcompact vehicle segment, preferred by about 70 percent of new retail car buyers in this category. Yaris infuses the body style’s practicality with sporty design. The 98.8-inch wheelbase provides a smooth ride and roomy interior, while an overall length of 153.5 inches helps make the Yaris highly maneuverable in tight situations. The aerodynamic body yields a 0.30 coefficient of drag.

Inside, the liftback body style offers flexibility, with 15.6 cu. ft. of trunk space (15.3 for three-door) that expands with the rear seatback folded. Yaris L models feature a one-piece folding rear seat, while LE and SE editions include a 60/40-split fold-down rear seat.  

The 2014 Yaris was designed for fun, functionality and frugality. All models are powered by a 1.5-liter, 16-valve, four-cylinder DOHC engine equipped with variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i), producing 106 hp at 6,000 rpm and 103 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,200 rpm. The broad torque curve provides plenty of response for both manual transmission and automatic-transmission vehicles.