Toyota Yaris Cross: A New B-SUV Aiming to Be a Sales Champion

Why Toyota sees the Toyota Yaris Cross as a sales champion

The phrase “instant sales champion” was arguably the line Toyota’s Japanese executives repeated most during the reveal of the new Toyota Yaris Cross. It is, without question, the brand’s most significant launch of the year under Akio Toyoda - voted World Car Awards Personality of the Year 2021.

There are sound reasons behind that confidence. Europe’s B-SUV category is among the fastest-growing, and the underpinnings chosen for the Toyota Yaris Cross have already proved popular with European buyers.

GA-B platform success in Europe

At the heart of the new Toyota Yaris Cross is the GA-B modular platform, first introduced on the Toyota Yaris. That architecture has helped propel sales of Toyota’s small hatchback in our market.

Hybrid power without charging compromises

Thirdly, the new Yaris Cross places a strong bet on hybrid power - particularly relevant for the Portuguese market - as one of today’s most sought-after drivetrain options. It promises low fuel consumption without the charging constraints of fully electric cars, which are still not a workable solution for every driver.

The Toyota Yaris Cross war

As you can see, Toyota’s expectations for the Toyota Yaris Cross are extremely high. But does it deliver?

To find out, we drove Toyota’s smallest and most affordable SUV - at least until the arrival of the new Toyota Aygo, which will also adopt a “crossover” approach - on Belgian roads.

The launch took place just a few kilometres from Waterloo, the famed battlefield where Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, decisively defeated French forces led by Napoleon Bonaparte - a “thrashing” that had already been repeated in Portugal at the Lines of Torres Vedras during the Peninsular War.

It was a fitting choice, given the “war” being fought in this segment. When development began on the new Toyota Yaris Cross, Toyota’s team knew they had to bring their very best - and that is precisely what they set out to do.

Our main considerations can be found in the 14 minutes of the featured video on Automotive Reason’s YouTube channel.

The SUV arguments

For this “SUV war” within the supermini segment, Toyota has leaned on its newest platform, its strongest powertrains, and even debuted a new infotainment system packed with features - an area where Toyota has previously struggled to keep pace with rivals.

With prices starting at 22 595 euros, the compact Yaris Cross has plenty going for it in the Portuguese market, but it is worth remembering just how fierce the competition is. As we saw in this B-SUV “mega comparison” organised by Automotive Reason, nobody wants to be left behind.

The first Yaris Cross units arrive in Portugal in September.