7The new facelifted Toyota Yaris Cross is on sale now, with prices starting from £27,445 – just £150 more than before. Importantly, this keeps it within spitting distance of the best-selling Ford Puma. This is the second time Toyota’s small hybrid SUV has been updated, with this latest round of upgrades including more significant styling tweaks. A fresh front-end design, new cabin materials and improvements to the already highly-frugal hybrid powertrain all feature. There are four trim levels to choose from: Icon, Design, Excel and GR Sport. Every model is front-wheel drive as standard, but if customers go for an Excel, they can add all-wheel drive for an extra £2,350. This is provided by an additional e-motor on the back, which offers more traction but performance is the same. 7Every model features a digital instrument display, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. But in terms of the screen sizes, base models get a nine-inch touchscreen and nine-inch instrument panel, while the rest of the range benefits from a 10.5-inch main display and 12.3-inch driver’s display. As well as the onboard tech we mentioned, entry-level Icon models get adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera, LED headlights and driver attention monitoring. Upgrading to Design trim (available from £30,675) adds a wireless charging tray, parking sensors, sports-style front seats and larger rims. Excel grade (starts from £34,280) comes with SakuraTouch upholstery, a powered tailgate, heated steering wheel, metallic paint as standard and an Advanced Safety pack including rear-cross traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, safe exit assist, a panoramic-view camera system and more. Finally, the GR Sport (starting from £35,095) comes with two-tone paint finish, ‘Ultrasuede’ seat upholstery, 18-inch alloy wheels and ever-so slightly sportier front and rear bumpers, plus some GR badging. 7The redesigned nose on the revised Yaris Cross is inspired by the new Toyota RAV4. This can be seen in the hexagonal grille opening that bleeds into the main body, and the removal of the low-set LED daytime running lights. These have been integrated into new headlights. The rest of the exterior design is largely unchanged, but Toyota is offering two new colour options, plus redesigned 17 or 18-inch wheels depending on the trim level. Inside, the cabin improvements are more subtle, with a few material upgrades that aim to lift the quality. This includes new SakuraTouch fabric inserts on Excel grade models we mentioned above. Under the bonnet, Toyota’s well-proven 1.5-litre hybrid powertrain remains in its 129bhp form. This powertrain was heavily revised in 2024, reducing noise and vibrations. Performance isn’t the engine’s strong point, with a 10.7-second 0-62mph time, but efficiency is impressive - up to 64.1mpg is achieved on the official tests, depending on the specification. This price point will put the Yaris Cross at the pointy end of the highly competitive small SUV class, with new ambitious Chinese rivals like the Jaecoo 5 and BYD Atto 2 matching the Toyota and its other legacy rivals on price, but offering extra standard kit and more powerful hybrid engines. However, Toyota’s reputation for reliability and strong residuals still creates a compelling buying proposition; its cars are also typically more pleasant to drive. If you’re thinking of buying a supermini-based crossover like the Yaris Cross, Nissan Juke or Ford Puma, check out the latest deals on the Auto Express Buy a Car service...
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