Toyota has expanded its subcompact hybrid lineup in Thailand with the launch of the Yaris ATIV HEV subcompact hybrid sedan that’s targeted at young buyers and small families.
The Yaris ATIV HEV joins the Yaris Cross HEV in Toyota’s hybrid B-segment lineup, giving the Japanese automaker more hybrid models for the Thai market, while offering more affordable prices.
Official pricing starts at Bt729,000 for the Premium variant, while the range-topping GR Sport retails at Bt779,000.
Toyota Motor Thailand president Noriaki Yamashita said the company plans to sell 20,000 units of the Yaris ATIV HEV per year.
“The Yaris ATIV HEV carries a high local content of up to 73 per cent, and will also be exported from Thailand to 23 countries,” he said.
For the hybrid variant, there are some cosmetic changes compared to the regular ICE-powered Yaris ATIV models, which come with 1.2-liter engines.
The hybrid system, meanwhile, is similar to the Yaris Cross HEV, featuring a 1.5-liter 2NR-VEX engine with 91ps/121Nm mated to an electric motor with 80ps/141Nm. Toyota claims a total system output of 111ps.
Thanks to the hybrid system, the average fuel economy has been improved from 23.3km/liter in the ICE version to 29.4km/liter.
The GR Sport variant also gets glossy black front grille, roof and mirror caps. There’s a GR-S aero kit (front skirt, side skirt, rear skirt and rear spoiler) and newly-designed 17-inch wheels wearing 205/50 R17 tires.
Toyota says that the suspension and power steering has been beefed up to provide a more engaging driving experience. There are stabilizers both front and rear, while the springs and dampers come with stiffer ratings.
The interior gets black synthetic leather upholstery along with leather for the steering wheel, gearshift knob and door panels.
Front seats come with manual adjustment though, with six-way adjustment for the driver and four-way for the front passenger. There are GR Sport logos on the front seats, as well as on the steering wheel.
There’s a 7-inch digital driver display along with 10.1-inch center touchscreen with 360-degree camera as well as wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity and six-speaker Pioneer sound system. A wireless phone charger is also offered.
The Toyota Safety Sense ADAS package now comes with Lane Keeping Control that pairs up with an all-speed adaptive cruise control system.
