Compact SUV arrived late, but still has good attributes to repeat the success of the bigger brothers and bother the leaders
Toyota prepared a major debut for the Yaris Cross in early 2025, but suffered delays that included the destruction of its engine plant by a weather phenomenon. Now the Japanese brand’s compact SUV has finally hit the market, with five versions, two of which are flex hybrids, and prices between R$ 149.990 and R$ 189.990.
It entered the price range of Brazil’s best-selling cars in retail and in the most competitive segment, compact SUVs. It will face the leader Hyundai Creta, the runner-up Honda HR-V, the Volkswagen T-Cross, the Chevrolet Tracker, the Caoa Chery Tiggo 5X, the Jeep Renegade, the Peugeot 2008 and some new Chinese models.
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Despite the delay, the Yaris Cross brought some new features to Toyota’s national line and will have the attention of the brand’s captive audience. But if you are not a fan of Japanese cars and are considering buying the model, see the five main positive points of it.
Toyota was the first manufacturer to launch a hybrid car on the global market, with the Prius. It was also the pioneer in Brazil, with the Corolla Hybrid, which was also the first electrified flex.
The Yaris Cross follows this, bringing a new hybrid set that combines the 1.5 flex with two electric motors, one generator and the other for traction. It is of the series-parallel type, does not require external recharging and is always working in the most efficient way for the occasion.
The advantage of this is that the driver does not have to fiddle with driving modes all the time and does not need to have a charger at home. When starting the car “turns” to work in the most economical way and combines the engines to give performance when needed.
The combined power is 111 hp, the combined torque is not disclosed, but the electric motor delivers 14,4 kgfm. Toyota also does not disclose performance data, but in the test of Quatro Rodas magazine it did zero to 100 km/h in 11.5 s, the average of the segment.
We did not put this item next to the previous one because until the combustion-only model stood out with good consumption averages. Let’s start with it, which uses the 1.5 aspirated four-cylinder in-line updated with direct injection and other internal improvements, resulting in 122 hp and 15,3 kgfm.
With this engine, the Toyota Yaris Cross achieves an urban average of 12.6 km/l and a road average of 14.3 km/l when fueled with gasoline. With ethanol, the numbers drop to 8.8 km/l and 10.2 km/l, respectively.
The Yaris Cross Hybrid is the most economical national car in Inmetro’s standardized tests. It is only surpassed by the imported Kia Niro in the official table. See the compact SUV averages:
| Fuel | City | Road |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | 17.9 km/l | 15.3 km/l |
| Ethanol | 13.2 km/l | 10.7 km/l |
Toyota’s stable sales and loyal following have been built up through the years with the good reliability of cars. The conservative set of the Yaris Cross seems negative for those who like novelty, but on the other hand it gives a guarantee of tranquility to the owner.
The 1.5 engine with direct injection and the 1.5 Atkinson cycle with conventional injection of the hybrid model are part of the NR family, the same one that debuted with the Etios and equipped the Yaris. Toyota’s hybrid set is already well known in the market as well and there are no reports of chronic problems with it.
The Yaris Cross has a total warranty of 5 years and can be extended to 10 years by performing scheduled maintenance at the authorized network. For commercial use, the time coverage is the same but with the addition of the limitation of 100 thousand km, which can be extended to another 100 thousand.
The compact SUV segment has cars that prioritize passenger space or trunk space. One extreme of the first case is the Honda HR-V, with a better rear seat than many sedans, while in the second is the Renault Duster with its 475-liter luggage compartment.
The Toyota Yaris Cross has balanced this, its wheelbase is 2.63 m and guarantees comfort for four adult occupants. The 400-liter trunk is in the middle of the segment, without standing out. The volume can grow by folding down the rear seat, which forms a flat platform for cargo.
Japanese cars have never been among the most stuffed, but in recent years they have been doing their homework. The Yaris Cross did not skimp on safety items, for example.
The entry-level XR version already features full LED headlights, six airbags, four-wheel disc brakes, electronic parking brake with auto-hold, ventilation outlet for the rear seat, face-to-face key, reverse sensor, six speakers and front windows with anti-noise film.
This is the only model without the Toyota Safety Sense ADAS package, which comes in from the XRE along with automatic air conditioning, leather-wrapped steering wheel, automatic folding of the mirrors, digital panel, induction charger, reversing camera and photochromic rearview mirror.
The top of the line XRX includes the panoramic sunroof (absent in the bigger brother Corolla Cross), 360° camera, electric trunk opening, ambient lighting, blind spot monitor and front parking sensor.
Another differential of the Japanese origin is that it has an offer of seven different colors, including a red and a blue. In the XRX model it is possible to opt for the black roof, but those who want can have the complete model in just one color.
