DRIVE NOW
ay’ s drive 20
15 Toyota Ford Yaris
Friday, August 21, 2015
B01
SPECIAL SECTION courtesy of the SURREY NOW Your journey starts here.
Your journey starts here.
Focus ST
Toyota’s put a fresh new face on their smallest offering
BY BRENDAN McALEER
instrument cluster some time ago, and now has massaged the dash with a bit more soft-touch material and a few extra cubbies. It’s just what you need, including a little pocket for your smartphone right next to the USB plug in.
It’s no wallflower, shouting its “It’s a car!” That was the old tag-line for the intentions toLest the world Yaris commercials. you think they protest brendanmcaleer@gmail.com
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a bit too much, the idea was pretty simple: here’s a little car with everything you need, and not much more than that.
The driving position is slightly on the odd side. As the steering wheel tilts only, and doesn’t telescope, a longer-legged driver ends up sitting with his or her arms straight out, almost like an old Ferrari. Even so, it’s not uncomfortable, and when you get the Yaris out on the highway, you can note that the suspension and brake-based torque four-speed is actually quite highvectoring give the ST a chance to really geared. It’s relatively quiet in the bite into the corner then scrabble cabin, and and the chassis feels stiff.
For some reason, Toyota Personally, that’s my kind of machine. Just a little on18-way the small side for some weighs passenger space more the facts, ma’am, - no need for @brendan_mcaleer duties, and strapping in a rear car than cargo area, so heavily seats and body-roll-controlling hydraulics, seat gets bitscan onerous as thewhile rear the Yaris has usefullyand on-board infotainment systems thatacan sized rear seats, the trunk space your brainwaves radioshelf station. Nope, to remove. parcel is tricky out the other side. The more sized and practicalto find the best is a little on the small side. Lift Behind the scenes, Toyota’s put a sometimes it’s better if a car is just a car. aggressive youwelds are, into the the happier it ing around children the lid and you’ll see the culprit – a few extra structure Apart from that, it’s a regular Toyota’s put a fresh new face on their smallest offering, gets – and the bigger the tire bill. roceries. of the Yaris, and while it’s not about to little hatch, andthat’s that means space-saver spare tire crammed into and by “fresh,” I of course mean “scary.” Yikes, a small area at an angle. The seats fold do battling around a racetrack, the move folding seats for a hockey down, but there’s none of the cleverness of That’s not all. Most hot hatchbacks one aggressive looking little eco-pod! has firmed up the feel of the car. It feels very practice, or room enough to display understeer Honda’s magic seat system here. composed despite thenice smallsafe power output, andifmore fright mask still packing ? So, is the machine behind thepick upmore three friends from the you push a bit hard. Ford, than up to the task as a them commuter. the essentials, or is there something sinister Performance: goingboosted on here? airport. Let whom ever is your on the other hand, has engineered an over Features: Under the hood, the Yaris has a 1.5L four-cylinder best friend ride up front. in into their little g brakes, punchy As mentioned,lift-off there’soversteer no real need to consider options engine making a modest 106hp at 6000rpm and 103lb/ Design: hooligan. Pop off the accelerator likeWell a disgruntled other than which transmission to pick on the Yaris. that’s certainly a uniqueThe take front up front. No-one ft of peak torque at 4000rpm. The standard transmission Recaros for both driver While slightly costlier than otherand manufacturer’s base sharply mid-corner, the back end Toyota’s design department of being lete could with accuse seats that offering is still a five-speed manual, but the only and passenger are some of the models, the little Toyota has pretty much everything afraid to take a risk or two. What once was a tad on the available automatic is a four-speed. comes around like its on casters. This you Mustangs. most aggressive seats ever fitted to a need: USB connectivity, a touchscreen, keyless entry, bland side now looks like a cross between a Tiki mask behaviour feels tamed compared to the Sounds pretty mainstream car. The side-bolstering is low-tech, right? Well, it is, but there’s air-conditioning, nine air-bags – it’s all there. acts overseas, butWrestler. and a Mexican something of an advantage to that. While it’s not as first editions of the ST, but is still present and huge,– the to the that somequick everyday users ttingIt’s used to for these. The SE model adds in a few luxuries like leatherall just show, so don’t worry Yarispoint isn’t going as a dual-clutch or as miserly as a CVT, the Yaris’ still something you won’t find elsewhere. might actually find If you combination is bone-reliable, think “Mustang,” wrapped control surfaces, sportier seats, and foglights. to bite. In fact, take a brief walkaround to peek at its it a tad uncomfortable. four-pot-plus-four-speed Nice, but not absolutely necessary. other four angles, remains as it wasbits, before, the twisty though, they’re wonderful, keeping Overall, and more thrilling driving experience usable hatchback is and the car hit even if slightly neglected. Then you there’s the Yaris’ other it’s a faster an inoffensive and handsome firmly little economy car. It’s got major party trick: it weighs practically nothing. strapped in place. than you get from the more buttoned-down Germanic Fuel economy is very good, as you’d expect, with official wheelcovers. It’s got a hidden exhaust pipe. If it weren’t 2015 five-cycle figures set at 7.8L/100kms in the cityseat and competition. Fly under the radar in the latter, or by the “Simplify and add lightness,” that was the old adage for currently the mean-mugging front, you’d call itTouch cute. continues to improve, but can still be MyFord cus RS 6.6L/100kms on the highway. There are larger cars that’ll of your Colin Chapman’s Lotus, and while Toyota might not pants in this thing: it’s your choice. considered be the Achilles’of heel of the Focus. Screen ng power output do better at high speed, thanks to slipperier shapes, but the Also, you won’t be calling it cheap. While thisto is the have involved Lotus in the building of their efficient Yaris does well, hitting its numbers in real-world driving. most-basic it still fontsYaris arehatchback, small, and a bit of arunabout, reach while on the move. at the regularversion of the four-door they certainly espoused those ideals. The Features: comes with body-coloured door-handles and mirrors. It’s However, voice commands work far better than on the does it work as an Yaris weighs about as much as a first-generation Miata, Green Light: The optional go-faster stripes from Ford add a hundred inexpensive, but the exterior doesn’t trumpet it. system’s original rollout, andand while learning curve that the makes it relatively fun is to a drive. It bounces over Nimble handling; fun-to-drive; quiet cabin; sensible horsepower each - proven fact. imperfections in the pavement without too much fuss bit steep, the system works well with familiarity. packaging Environment: and hurtles around the corners with gusto. Besides that, the ST is very well equipped standard, with The inside is much the same – not costly, but not Stop Sign: bargain basement has fitted the LE which Performance: d news for the ST either. Toyota the only real options being navigation and a package The four-speed transmission is tuned for efficiency, Love it or leave it styling; low-tech powertrain; lack of prettyrecently much everything you need in an entry-level car. hood is not quick-shifting or extracting power, and thecontaining smallUnder the Focus’ new the familiar 2.0L he Focus dual-zone climate control and a 10-speaker cargo space There are standard power door locks and windows, displacement four-banger doesn’t have much power toupgrade. The latter is as punchy as the ST’s turbocharged engine, punching out 252hp and 270lb-ft ew front end and audio cruise control, and even a touchscreen interface. give anyway. However, there’s at so little inertial resistance The Checkered Flag: of torque. Much more than what’s offered from rivals hts now include turbocharged engine, but subtracts trunk space with a rearfrom the Yaris’ curb-weight, that you can just pogo the Fierce little scowl or not, it’s still just a car. Just what’s Especially for such a diminutive little car, it’s quite VW or Honda, the ST’s straight-line performance is strong, androomy a power bulge mounted subwoofer. needed! car off down the road without difficulty. in here. Toyota ditched the centre-mounted
punctuated by more than a hint of torque steer scrabble.
Official fuel economy figures for the ST are quite good at 7118154 As a highway car, the no-shift passing response is very re pretty tame – the 7.3L/100kms on the highway, and 10.2L/100kms in the THE FUN THIS SUNDAY AUG, torque 23 means you can just leave the good. Lots of low-end nteelJOIN machine. city. Observed real-world economy is really going to depend Donation manual-only shifter in top gear and just let yourTo left foot ng its9AM-6PM intentions to on how often you ignore the upshift indicator and just floor get you up to speed. Road noise from the 18” alloys and mborghini-ish centreit, but the ST can handle a gentle commute without being performance tires is less intrusive than in a Subaru WRX. s. With Every New too painful at the pump. Car Test Drive However, the ST doesn’t really wake up until the road gets ng. On the negative With Each Car Sold 9-12pm 1-888-854-2634 Green Light: twisty. The advantage of having a dedicated European ng. That centrewww.peacearchtoyota.com Dealer #30377 Characterful, engaging drive; usable passenger and cargo performance arm for decades that Ford’s hatchback See is Main Ad On Pg 5 who would wish to 3174 KING GEORGE space; grippy seats BLV, SURREY offerings have been fighting off a much larger competitive arket offerings look segment than we experience in North America. Here, we
$200
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