Bear in mind that for whatever you’ve commented, there will be no reduction in various taxes. Surrender to it or otherwise, leave the country to another, then you can buy your desired car at desired price.

Yaris is a follower of Jazz, it has nothing in its product line up that compete with Jazz, therefore, the people in Toyota developed this ugly bug to have a fair share of the market’s pie. Do you Yaris? What is Yaris? Trying real hard to sound young…

Somebody mentioned that Honda does not cared for its public relations to people, have you actually done your research before you uttered those words?

No doubt that Toyota is selling their cars well, but why Toyota kept using it’s VVT-i engine – for Vios, Yaris, Altis, Camry.. you name it. Because they do not have any other innovations in its technology! Vios is particularly disappointing, interior looks very much like my dad’s generation car, prob 20 years ago.

Wake up guys, see it for your own.

Dogster and Joe Ooi , take care n be good.

This statement make me loughing all the time, very “creative and meaningful”. Better than KFC and McDonald “licking’s finger good” and “I’m in luv in it”.

Cheers to Dogster and Dan for peace with each other.

Our “war” is against P1 and CarTaxLand…………..

haha DAN ,
U sound like a terrorist man . ahahaha.
Hey all , u know what. every section i go to . always got ppl blaim proton this proton that and also G. hahaha this place is turning into a hate site liaw oooo

—————————————————————-

dogster!
how u know the way terrorist men sound like , is that u r terroriset men that make u know it sound like! .

what make u can say this blogs turning into a hate site, do u know what is blong for!.
my b u shud make your own blogs ,that say only a good thing n no critics!.
u in boleh land, u do first!.

who make u can simply used this word (terroriset men)where u learn from.

Enough history. Wind forward to February 2005, the second generation Vitz was launched in Japan. In Europe it is still called Yaris, but USA and the rest of the world now also adopt the Yaris label. After the successful Mk1, we inevitably had high expectation on the Mk2. We know it falls in the most competitive market segment in the world – no less than 33 cars in AutoZine’s comparison list at the time of writing. Therefore it had better to take another big step forward.

Judging from the exterior styling, my first impression on the Vitz / Yaris is quite positive. The new car was again designed by Toyota’s Brussels studio, no wonder it preserves the genes of the Mk1. It may be less radical than the original car 6 years ago, but the design evolved to be more modern, more flowing and dynamic. Its minimalist cabin looks very cool, thanks to the contrasting back plastic and silver console. Like the Mk1, instruments are mounted centrally in the name of allowing the driver to concentrate on the road. In fact, they allow cheaper conversion from left to right hand drive.

The new Yaris is considerably larger than its predecessor (110 mm longer, 35 mm wider and 20 mm taller, plus a 90 mm boost in wheelbase), but it is still considerably smaller than Renault Clio and Fiat Grande Punto. Does this mean less cabin space? no. You must admire Japanese engineers’ expertise in packaging. They were born in an environment where space is as precious as gold, so they were trained to make the most space out of the minimal exterior dimensions. In the new Vitz / Yaris, you will find space comparable to Clio. 4 people enjoy plenty of head and legroom. 5 would be a squeeze though. Although the rear floor is flat, the body sides are heavily tapered towards the roof. This mean the outer rear passengers will have their heads rubbing against the windows or pillars. The same would not happen in our class leader Mitsubishi Colt. Toyota’s engineers know how to solve this problem – by using boxy body, they gave the smaller Toyota Passo even more room than the Vitz / Yaris. However, they don’t want to sacrifice the dynamic style and structural rigidity in Vitz / Yaris.

Flexible cabin layout is the strength of Yaris. The rear seat not only 6:4 split, recline and fold flat onto the floor, but it also slide back and forth to alter the distribution between passenger space and luggage space. Storage space is another strength. There is countless of storage cubbies throughout the cabin, including a large glovebox in front of the driver and a drawer underneath the front passenger seat.

Despite of these features, this is not the best cabin in the class. While its plastics look high quality stuff, once you touch them you will realize they are just regular hard plastics. Knock them and they sound hollow. This car does not feel as high quality as Renault Clio and Volkswagen Polo, although I won’t doubt its reliability. Another disappointment is the cold ambience of the cabin. All plastics are black, the console is silver and the roof is white. It feels as boring as the rainy sky of England. Why not inject some colors?

Mechanically, the new Vitz has little to surprise. The front is suspended by MacPherson struts. The rear by torsion-beam. The chassis gained 40 percent rigidity over the Mk1. Drag coefficient is reduced to 0.30. All these are predictable. Like the Mk1, it is offered with 3 petrol engines in 1.0 litres, 1.3 litres and 1.5 litres. All of them employ twin cam 4 valves per cylinder and VVT-i, again like its predecessor. There is no substantial gain in power, so performance remains more or less the same.

On the road, the Yaris will be loved for agility and ease of drive. Because of its efficient packaging, the Yaris can be lighter and more compact than the latest European mini cars. Its short turning circle makes it easy to drive in congested urban area. The same goes for the light steering and crisp gearchange. If motorway driving is not your daily requirement, the smallest 1.0 engine will be perfect. This 3-cylinder unit is pretty smooth and eager, powerful considering its small capacity (thanks to variable valve timing), and very frugal. The 1.3 petrol should satisfy most drivers, while the 1.5 petrol is mainly designed for power hungry American. However, at high rev the 4-cylinders sound coarser than the 3-cylinder.

Make no mistake, Yaris Mk2 does not set any new standards in driving dynamics. While it handles and rides quite well, you won’t feel excited in any single area. Its ride is not as absorbent as Clio and Grande Punto. Its sound insulation is just average. Its body movement is less tightly controlled than Fiesta and Polo. Its electric steering feels quite artificial (well, so do most rivals). The beauty of Vitz / Yaris is not about driving dynamics, but the overall efficiency of its packaging and mechanicals. Unfortunately, this time it failed to turn the efficiency into desirability. If it get a more inviting cabin and some innovative features, or a really striking look, the story would have been different.

Performance
Three engines are offered: a three-cylinder, 1.0-litre petrol engine also found in Toyota’s baby Aygo; a 1.3-litre petrol engine; and a 1.4-litre diesel motor, offering a claimed 62.8mpg average. The 1.0-litre unit is surprisingly nippy in the larger car, but not the most refined small engine around. The 1.3 is flexible but a bit short of oomph, and the diesel is a bit flat when the turbo isn’t operating.

Ride & handling
The Yaris has matured in all areas, including its ride and handling. However, while the ride isn’t uncomfortable, it’s a little jittery at times and the car never feels truly settled. Handling is predictable and safe on the 1.0-litre model we drove – hardly likely to excite, but tidy nonetheless.

Refinement
Refinement is another key area where the Yaris has matured – there’s now far less wind and road noise to contend with, although the car is slightly less refined than the Renault Clio. The distinctive growl of a three-cylinder engine in the 1.0-litre engine takes some getting used to around town, but it’s not too much of a problem on the open road.

Buying & owning
Compare prices of the old and new Yaris and you’re in for something of a shock. This is now a bigger supermini in every sense – including prices. That said, running costs should be broadly similar to the old car, and insurance may even be cheaper – the entry-level car sits in group one for insurance.

Quality & reliability
The Yaris has been a byword for reliability in the past – the old model stands at number three in the current JD Power Customer Satisfaction table – so that should bode well for buyers of the new car. Quality inside is good, although Toyota has gone for harder, dimpled plastics across the dash, which look nice but lack the quality feel of softer-touch plastics.

Safety & security
The Yaris received the full five-star occupant safety rating from Euro NCAP and just as impressively is one of only a handful of cars to get three stars for pedestrian safety. All cars get driver and passenger airbags and most also have front side and curtain airbags plus one to protect the driver’s knees, while anti-lock brakes are standard on all models.

Behind the wheel
One of the benefits in the Yaris’s growth in size is the high-set driving position, which is good for people of all shapes and sizes. The trademark digital instrument panel in the centre of the dashboard remains, but has been redesigned for greater clarity, while there are still myriad cubbyholes around for odds and ends.

Space & practicality
Passengers are the biggest beneficiaries of the new Yaris’s size, although luggage isn’t badly off either. Toyota’s Easy Flat system, which means the rear seats can be folded flat at the tug of a lever, is standard and the rear seats will also slide and recline to adjust the passenger and luggage room. Rear passenger leg space is good, although tall people will find headroom restrictive.

Equipment
Choose from T2, T3 or T Spirit models – all of them get twin front airbags, remote locking, electric windows and a CD player. Mid-spec T3 models add extra airbags, air-conditioning, and an upgraded stereo, while T Spirits receive alloys, climate control and a keyless entry and start system – no more than expected, really, at these steep prices.

Performance
Three engines are offered: a three-cylinder, 1.0-litre petrol engine also found in Toyota’s baby Aygo; a 1.3-litre petrol engine; and a 1.4-litre diesel motor, offering a claimed 62.8mpg average. The 1.0-litre unit is surprisingly nippy in the larger car, but not the most refined small engine around. The 1.3 is flexible but a bit short of oomph, and the diesel is a bit flat when the turbo isn’t operating.

Ride & handling
The Yaris has matured in all areas, including its ride and handling. However, while the ride isn’t uncomfortable, it’s a little jittery at times and the car never feels truly settled. Handling is predictable and safe on the 1.0-litre model we drove – hardly likely to excite, but tidy nonetheless.

Refinement
Refinement is another key area where the Yaris has matured – there’s now far less wind and road noise to contend with, although the car is slightly less refined than the Renault Clio. The distinctive growl of a three-cylinder engine in the 1.0-litre engine takes some getting used to around town, but it’s not too much of a problem on the open road.

Buying & owning
Compare prices of the old and new Yaris and you’re in for something of a shock. This is now a bigger supermini in every sense – including prices. That said, running costs should be broadly similar to the old car, and insurance may even be cheaper – the entry-level car sits in group one for insurance.

Quality & reliability
The Yaris has been a byword for reliability in the past – the old model stands at number three in the current JD Power Customer Satisfaction table – so that should bode well for buyers of the new car. Quality inside is good, although Toyota has gone for harder, dimpled plastics across the dash, which look nice but lack the quality feel of softer-touch plastics.

Safety & security
The Yaris received the full five-star occupant safety rating from Euro NCAP and just as impressively is one of only a handful of cars to get three stars for pedestrian safety. All cars get driver and passenger airbags and most also have front side and curtain airbags plus one to protect the driver’s knees, while anti-lock brakes are standard on all models.

Behind the wheel
One of the benefits in the Yaris’s growth in size is the high-set driving position, which is good for people of all shapes and sizes. The trademark digital instrument panel in the centre of the dashboard remains, but has been redesigned for greater clarity, while there are still myriad cubbyholes around for odds and ends.

Space & practicality
Passengers are the biggest beneficiaries of the new Yaris’s size, although luggage isn’t badly off either. Toyota’s Easy Flat system, which means the rear seats can be folded flat at the tug of a lever, is standard and the rear seats will also slide and recline to adjust the passenger and luggage room. Rear passenger leg space is good, although tall people will find headroom restrictive.

Equipment
Choose from T2, T3 or T Spirit models – all of them get twin front airbags, remote locking, electric windows and a CD player. Mid-spec T3 models add extra airbags, air-conditioning, and an upgraded stereo, while T Spirits receive alloys, climate control and a keyless entry and start system – no more than expected, really, at these steep prices.

—————————————————————-

Toyota had never been good at making small cars until very recently. For years, its Starlet struggled to break into overseas market but without much success. It was so frustrated to the extent that it simply took over Daihatsu in order to gain access to the small car market. However, in 1999 Toyota finally created a world-class small car. It was called Vitz at home, or Yaris in Europe and Echo in North America. The car had a cute styling, very compact yet space-efficient packaging, an innovative sliding rear seat which could alter passenger legroom and luggage room according to needs, and it employed a range of 4-valve per cylinder VVT-i engines to deliver brisk performance. The car won European Car of the Year award immediately and sold hot in Europe. Meanwhile, a production plant was established in France – the heartland of European small cars – as a symbol of victory and rolled out 200,000 Yaris a year. The success of Yaris started a new wave of Toyota invasion to Europe. After USA, Toyota broke into European market finally.

Enough history. Wind forward to February 2005, the second generation Vitz was launched in Japan. In Europe it is still called Yaris, but USA and the rest of the world now also adopt the Yaris label. After the successful Mk1, we inevitably had high expectation on the Mk2. We know it falls in the most competitive market segment in the world – no less than 33 cars in AutoZine’s comparison list at the time of writing. Therefore it had better to take another big step forward.

Judging from the exterior styling, my first impression on the Vitz / Yaris is quite positive. The new car was again designed by Toyota’s Brussels studio, no wonder it preserves the genes of the Mk1. It may be less radical than the original car 6 years ago, but the design evolved to be more modern, more flowing and dynamic. Its minimalist cabin looks very cool, thanks to the contrasting back plastic and silver console. Like the Mk1, instruments are mounted centrally in the name of allowing the driver to concentrate on the road. In fact, they allow cheaper conversion from left to right hand drive.

The new Yaris is considerably larger than its predecessor (110 mm longer, 35 mm wider and 20 mm taller, plus a 90 mm boost in wheelbase), but it is still considerably smaller than Renault Clio and Fiat Grande Punto. Does this mean less cabin space? no. You must admire Japanese engineers’ expertise in packaging. They were born in an environment where space is as precious as gold, so they were trained to make the most space out of the minimal exterior dimensions. In the new Vitz / Yaris, you will find space comparable to Clio. 4 people enjoy plenty of head and legroom. 5 would be a squeeze though. Although the rear floor is flat, the body sides are heavily tapered towards the roof. This mean the outer rear passengers will have their heads rubbing against the windows or pillars. The same would not happen in our class leader Mitsubishi Colt. Toyota’s engineers know how to solve this problem – by using boxy body, they gave the smaller Toyota Passo even more room than the Vitz / Yaris. However, they don’t want to sacrifice the dynamic style and structural rigidity in Vitz / Yaris.

Flexible cabin layout is the strength of Yaris. The rear seat not only 6:4 split, recline and fold flat onto the floor, but it also slide back and forth to alter the distribution between passenger space and luggage space. Storage space is another strength. There is countless of storage cubbies throughout the cabin, including a large glovebox in front of the driver and a drawer underneath the front passenger seat.

Despite of these features, this is not the best cabin in the class. While its plastics look high quality stuff, once you touch them you will realize they are just regular hard plastics. Knock them and they sound hollow. This car does not feel as high quality as Renault Clio and Volkswagen Polo, although I won’t doubt its reliability. Another disappointment is the cold ambience of the cabin. All plastics are black, the console is silver and the roof is white. It feels as boring as the rainy sky of England. Why not inject some colors?

Mechanically, the new Vitz has little to surprise. The front is suspended by MacPherson struts. The rear by torsion-beam. The chassis gained 40 percent rigidity over the Mk1. Drag coefficient is reduced to 0.30. All these are predictable. Like the Mk1, it is offered with 3 petrol engines in 1.0 litres, 1.3 litres and 1.5 litres. All of them employ twin cam 4 valves per cylinder and VVT-i, again like its predecessor. There is no substantial gain in power, so performance remains more or less the same.

On the road, the Yaris will be loved for agility and ease of drive. Because of its efficient packaging, the Yaris can be lighter and more compact than the latest European mini cars. Its short turning circle makes it easy to drive in congested urban area. The same goes for the light steering and crisp gearchange. If motorway driving is not your daily requirement, the smallest 1.0 engine will be perfect. This 3-cylinder unit is pretty smooth and eager, powerful considering its small capacity (thanks to variable valve timing), and very frugal. The 1.3 petrol should satisfy most drivers, while the 1.5 petrol is mainly designed for power hungry American. However, at high rev the 4-cylinders sound coarser than the 3-cylinder.

Make no mistake, Yaris Mk2 does not set any new standards in driving dynamics. While it handles and rides quite well, you won’t feel excited in any single area. Its ride is not as absorbent as Clio and Grande Punto. Its sound insulation is just average. Its body movement is less tightly controlled than Fiesta and Polo. Its electric steering feels quite artificial (well, so do most rivals). The beauty of Vitz / Yaris is not about driving dynamics, but the overall efficiency of its packaging and mechanicals. Unfortunately, this time it failed to turn the efficiency into desirability. If it get a more inviting cabin and some innovative features, or a really striking look, the story would have been different.

Joe Ooi – We can’t blame Toyota but CarTaxLand. By classification, this car is classified as low end budget sub-compact car. That means it is mass produce basic small car design for city driving targeted at low income and low FC yet affordable to the mass. However, NAP make it become “luxury” by pricing standard! So if you say “unimpress” is acceptable given that it is “city toy” rpoducts.

Firstly, open the bonnet and check out how the engine sunk in. The front is so thick it looks like an mpv. Gives an impression the car is big.

Secondly, sit at the back seat. Fine I am rather tall but I am still asian. And my head knocks the back glass with ZERO headroom.

Thirdly, look at the boot, I am not even sure if you can stuff a full size luggage in it.

Fourthly, the design of the air con vent is a joke!

I look highly upon Toyotas, but this one is not only pricey, but seriously unimpressive.

Took a walk to Naza, and was impressed with the Bestari instead. Say all you like about the rebadging ciplak problem or whatever, but that car inherited every fine quality of a conti at a price most of us can swallow. I’ll take that anytime.

And someone said above that the Yaris looks like a piggy bank. I couldnt exactly figure out what was wrong with the design but my god, you have given the perfect example!

The only thing that could save the Yaris is now is perhaps the driving dynamics, which sadly, I am still looking forward to test.

Till then.

K

Yeah, my blog it’s kind of new, hope you guys feel free to leave any comment. Just click on the “0 Comment” and put in your valuable feedbacks to me.

Thanks!

The problem why our cars is so expensive is not because of Proton ! It is because of the G who tax and tax in the pretext of protecting proton

i think is is same aite…the reason is protong…aite???it is same what…