I drove 1000km over a few days in Hokkaido in a Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid. This car shares nothing more than the name with the car introduced earlier in 2026 in Malaysia – they’re totally different cars.
I picked up
the car from the rental company in Sapporo – it’s a cute car, with some suave
lines in spite of its diminutive stature – pert nose, flowing back, a few
well-placed body lines, and good consistent finish. I think Toyota goes
overboard with the creases and lines on some of its newer cars, as if they were
origami pieces, notably the Lexus models.
In pearly
white, the car stands tall on big bold wheels to justify the crossover
aspiration. It’s better looking than the Malaysian version, which uses a
Daihatsu platform.
Drivetrain
The car is powered by an in-line 3-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine, (greater fuel efficiency and power at higher revs compared to traditional Otto cycle engine) mated to an electric motor. The hybrid system mostly worked very well, with seamless transitions. A green light on the dashboard indicates when the car is running on electric power. The small battery is good for very limited ranges – about 1-2 km, yet the hybrid system works efficiently, yielding a very creditable overall 26km/litre over 1000 km of driving over mixed road types – highways, country roads, urban driving.
This is a
self-charging system, which means no need to plug into an electrical outlet,
charging being through regeneration during deceleration.
Interior.
The backseats look cramped for leg space. The boot comfortably swallows a couple of mid-size luggage bags, and can be extended by folding the split rear seats.
The interior
is upholstered in dark gray and black – not suffocating, but nothing special,
and what you would expect of a car in this class. The front seats are actually
quite comfortable, with good support all around. I wasn’t tired after long
drives.
The
instrument panel is clear and intuitively easy to use, with traditional
steering stalks. Parking brake engages or disengages automatically when the car
is in D mode or otherwise.
Navigation
The most prominent thing on the dashboard is the flatscreen for navigation. You can choose between Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Toyota’s native navigation system, which is what I used, mostly. It was in English, with some submenus in Japanese, with voice accompaniment, and it was a hoot to use.
The Search
function is nowhere as versatile as Google Maps, yet if you know the Mapcode of
the destination, it was flawless. Addresses and telephone numbers were a little
dicier, with some Japanese submenus.
The
navigation screen is very clear, with a small popup window when approaching
junctions or turns, and the system knows of roadworks, diversions, speed
limits, etc. It even tells you which
lane to be in when approaching a junction on a multilane road.
Driving
The car is very easy to drive – small leather clad steering wheel is speed sensitive, so parking is very easy, with a 360-degree camera, and its not overly light at higher speeds.
Don’t
mistake the car for being sporty, because it’s not – it doesn’t encourage hard
driving, and has an effete manner. You feel rather apologetic for pushing it
hard. You’re never far from realizing what a short wheelbase the car has –
bumps on the road disturb its posture, and it emits an electronic protest beep.
Similarly, bumps mid-corner upset its poise, further discouraging attempts at
testing how robust its electronic stability control is.
Pickup is
more than adequate, a brisk trot rather than bursty acceleration.
The driver
aids such as Lane Departure warning mostly work unobtrusively, without being
overly sensitive or irritating. Proximity sensors all around are similarly more
for awareness than irritating in nature.
For such a
small car, the ride is better than you would expect, tuned for comfort without
being wallowy or skitterish. It’s really
at its best at moderate speeds on good roads. It’s quiet and refined most of
the time, but tyre noise intrudes on rough roads and the engine lets you know
when its working hard.
The car
emits a strange drone when decelerating on long descents, which a tap on the
accelerator eliminates, so it sounds like engine braking. I also noticed a
strange ‘sag’ when decelerating at low speeds, such as approaching a junction,
which could be a transition from petrol to EV mode.
For a CVT,
the transmission was well-behaved with no trace of the irritating rubber-band
effect that has, by and large, given CVTs a poor reputation.
Driving in
Hokkaido was a pleasure – the toll roads are sleep-inducingly dull, while the
country roads are a delight, winding through forested areas and pastureland.
Tolls are expensive, and can be paid in cash at the toll booth, or accumulated
on an on-board card in the dash. Accumulated toll charges are paid when
returning the car at the rental company.
Other
drivers are very civil and mostly obey the speed limit, which is quite low.
With such light traffic and such absorbing scenery, there’s no need or stress
to drive aggressively. In Japan, a full stop is required at junctions, even if
you can see for miles around that there are no cars. Full stop.
Overall
Overall, I liked the car – it’s pleasant, cute, modern and very easy to drive, with well-thought-out aids and a civilized manner. Externally, it looks beefier, with the actual driving experience being more feminine in nature. But having said that, I was quite comfortable in various environments – winding roads, highways, toddling around town, because it has It has a pleasant, yet willing character, without being completely bland.
August 2026
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