The Yaris Cross mini SUV hasn’t even hit showrooms yet and Toyota has already bolstered its appeal by adding a rugged Dynamic variant. The new, tougher-looking version of the Nissan Juke rival gains extra body protection at both ends, including skid plates, a set of silver roof rails, and 18-inch alloy wheels finished in a meaner-looking graphite paint.
Changes inside the cabin include a black headlining, piano black trim and leather-look seats, but if you want to upgrade to real leather a Dynamic Premiere Edition will be available for the first 12 months of sales. Other Premiere upgrades include a head-up display, two-tone paint and power-operated tailgate.
The Yaris Cross is available to order from May, and the first cars should be ready for delivery by September. Toyota has big hopes for the Cross, which it thinks could find 150,000 buyers across Europe next year, giving it eight per cent of the B-segment market currently occupied by cars like the Nissan Juke, Peugeot 2008 and Skoda Kamiq.
It’s built on the company’s massively flexible TNGA-B platform that underpins everything from the Yaris to the Rav 4, and, as you might expect, given the name, shares multiple components with the Yaris supermini. That Yaris base means Toyota is able to offer the Cross with the supermini’s 1.5-litre hybrid drivetrain. In fact, that hybrid drivetrain is the only one available to British buyers. Some European markets will offer a non-hybrid 1.5-litre engine, but it’s unlikely to find its way to the UK.
Toyota says front-wheel drive versions of the hybrid Cross will produce less than 120g/km of CO2, while all-wheel drive versions, are slightly dirtier, with a 135g/km rating. Toyota will reveal further details and prices closer to the May on-sale date.
Keyword: Toyota adds tough-looking Dynamic model to upcoming Yaris Cross range