April 24th 2020
The 2021 Toyota Yaris Cross has finally made its online debut with a hybrid powertrain mated to either front or all the wheels. Derived from Yaris and sitting below the C-HR, the Yaris Cross has a wheelbase of 100.8 inches, and lengthier overhangs compared to its sibling, making it more practical. It’s also wider (0.8 inches) and taller (3.5 inches) than the car it is based on.
The 2021 Toyota Yaris Cross boasts a more traditional styling, which makes good sense since the C-HR’s design isn’t very popular among car enthusiasts. It will be accessible with 18 inches wheels sporting a new glossy shade of Brass Gold. The best comes as an option though; the electric tailgate makes loading and unloading effortless.
In Europe, we do not find many small SUVs featuring an All-Wheel-Drive layout. So, this new crossover from Toyota is a welcome addition to the European roads. It spits fewer carbon thanks to its hybrid powertrain, which consists of a three-cylinder 1.5L gasoline engine and an electric motor. The engine has a thermal efficiency of up to 40%, which makes it powerful enough to propel the crossover on the front wheels only in normal conditions and kicking in the All-Wheel-Drive system automatically for challenging driving in the rain, snow, and sand.
The hybrid powertrain jointly creates 116 horsepower, which isn’t very healthy but is probably enough for city driving.
Toyota plans to launch it in Europe in summer next year and will manufacture it at its Valenciennes factory in France, which has just resumed production. In the home market, it will hit the roads before the end of this year. Pricing details are unknown yet. We also have no news regarding its launch in the UAE.
Source and Images: Motor1