Automobile club Luxembourg

A future star of the roads is born

Manufactured in Valenciennes, France, at the same factory as its little sister Yaris, the Yaris Cross is already shaping up to be a monumental commercial success. Beneath its Rav4-like appearance, it is driven by a platform of only 4.18m.

Progress never stops, and this is equally true of this Yaris Cross, which incorporates a hybrid lithium-ion battery with optimised efficiency and power. Compared to the nickel metal hybrid battery used in the previous generation of Yaris hybrids, this 177.6V battery is capable of producing twice as much energy under braking and delivers 50% more power under acceleration, not to mention the fact that it is also lighter.

This makes it easy to drive around town on electric power alone, much more so than with Toyota’s previous hybrids. The car can even be driven in EV mode at up to 90km/h as long as you go easy on the throttle. It may perform better in urban environments, but the Yaris Cross can certainly hold its own outside of the city, too. The combustion/electric transmissions are almost transparent and the steering is a real delight.

Image source: © Toyota