Head-turning Cross adds touch of muscle to the Yaris range

Sense, Toyota Touch 2 multimedia system with 8” touchscreen, DAB, Bluetooth, six-speaker audio system, Smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android, AutoSmart entry, push-button start, a reversing camera, auto air con and a 4.2” multi-information display.

Sign Assist and Automatic High Beam.

Yaris Cross also come with eCall which can automatically summon emergency services assistance in the event of a serious impact.

Engine, performance and economy

Toyota’s Yaris family – supermini and hot-hatch – now has a small SUV option, with the arrival of the Yaris Cross. Think Yaris on steroids.

As you might guess from that description, it’s quite a bit larger than its supermini brethren, and is almost as spacious inside as the larger CH-R. It offers company car drivers tax-friendly CO2 emissions from 102g/km, and CC&V got to grips with one recently.

What is it?

Built on the same TNGA platform as the other Yaris models, it’s powered by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with a CVT transmission. The front axle features an electric generator and motor that gives the Cross it’s hybrid powertrain.

As a whole, it’s 240mm longer than the standard Yaris, with 60mm added to the front and 180mm to the rear. The ground clearance is 30mm higher and the vehicle is wider and taller overall by 20 and 90mm respectively.

Model range and spec

There are four model choices available, beginning with Icon as the entry model, then Design, Excel and finally Dynamic.

All come generously equipped with Icon offering 16” 10-spoke alloys, Toyota Safety

To this equipment the Design adds 17” dark grey/machined five-double-spoke alloys, LED projector headlights, rear lights and sequential indicators, light blue ambient cabin lighting, aluminium roof rails, black headlining, a 7” multi-information display and rear privacy glass.

Excel enhances this further with the addition of 18” dark grey/machined five-triple-spoke alloys, a power tailgate with kick sensor, 9” Toyota Smart Connect multimedia system, Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Cross Traffic Alert with auto brake, intelligent parking sensors, a heated steering wheel and front seats, an auto dimming rear view mirror and dual-zone climate control.

Finally, the range-topping Dynamic offers a more distinctive SUV appearance and can be specified with front or all-wheel drive.

It features, in addition to the Excel trim level, 18” dark grey five-triple-spoke alloys, a bi-tone paint finish with black roof and the option of intelligent all-wheel drive. All-in-all, it’s an equipment level to rival those of its rivals.

Safety

All Yaris Cross models benefit from Toyota Safety Sense active safety and driver assistance systems as standard.

The package includes a Pre-Collision System with pedestrian and cyclist recognition and Emergency Steering Assist; full-range intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control; Lane Departure Alert and Lane Trace Assist; Road

We were testing the Dynamic model, which features a three-cylinder 1.5 hybrid engine, which comes with 114bhp, with the electric motor producing up to 79bhp. Top speed is 105 mph; 0-62mph IS 11.2 seconds. Fuel consumption is a claimed 54.6- 56.5 mg, with CO2 emissions of 112-117.2 g/km.

Interior

The cabin features plenty of black, grey and chrome and is unmistakably a Toyota. Quality is good, with decent materials used throughout and solid, straightforward switchgear.

The dashboard is dominated by the touchscreen, which is a huge jump up in quality for Toyota compared to previous tech used. It features clear graphics and fast response. Underneath the touchscreen sit narrow air vents and separate climate controls, with a single USB input. Located between the front seats are the gear stick, electric hand brake, Drive and EV mode buttons.

Practicality

The 397-litre boot features a heightadjustable luggage deck which can be divided in two. The luggage compartment also has a new flexible belt system to keep items secure when driving.

The cabin feels more spacious than the larger Toyota CH-R and comes with a glove box, centre cubby, under armrest storage, four small door pockets and a couple of drinks holders located between the front seats.

The car’s extra length is most noticeable in the cabin, with those in the front seats spoilt for both head and legroom. The rear seats will take three and there is good headroom, though you may struggle for legroom if behind a tall driver. The extra 25mm of height gives the driver a decent driving position.

Driving modes and economy

In common with many hybrids, the Cross will drive in EV mode up to 30mph, at which point the petrol engine will kick in. There’s a default driving setting, plus Eco, Power, EV and B, instigated by pulling the gear stick all the way towards you, which increases the regenerative braking effect.

We tried them all out, sticking to Eco mode on the motorway and utilising EV mode and B in town on slower, local routes. Power gives you a little bit more oomph when joining a motorway. A week and 300-miles driven, 200 of which were on the motorway, saw us average 55.3mpg.

On the road

The Cross’s small stature means it feels nippier than it actually is. City streets are its bread and butter and the chassis and wheels coped well with the pot-holed and worn-out tarmac locally.

Put your foot down and you may notice the CVT gearbox groaning a little. However, once you are up to speed the Cross will sit quite happily at motorway speeds.

The on-board Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert and Lane Trace Assist work well on the motorway but are best turned off for town and country driving.

Talking of the motorway, we tended to set the cruise at 70mph, sit back, relax and let the Cross do the work for you.

My travel companions had no complaints about the car’s ride or any excess cabin noise upsetting their journey, and the bonus of a decent sized boot meant that I was able to transport four adults plus bags to a local tennis match in some comfort.

Overall, the Cross won’t set your pulse racing, being more of a solid performer than a superstar. But its light, positive steering and decent road handling are stand out features that make it an enjoyable car to drive. EV mode will take you a good 30 miles if used carefully and we reckon that if we hadn’t been bombing along the M6 for 200 miles, we could easily have achieved 60+ mpg.

Pros

It looks good from every angle and also all versions come very well equipped. Highlight is the much improved infotainment system over Toyotas of old. From a practical perspective, it feels at least as spacious inside as the larger CH-R and it’s easy to drive. Long journeys were comfortable and the Yaris Cross offers good fuel economy and low CO2 emissions.

Cons

We still don’t like the CVT gearbox, although we will concede that it does work better in smaller Toyotas. The exterior looks are striking but all those sharp angles won’t appeal to all. The interior is little bland.

Conclusion

You won’t be disappointed. The Cross feels like a grown-up Yaris, with room on board for four adults and a family-sized boot. Decent fuel economy and low CO2 gives fleet customers not yet ready for full-electric an opportunity to save some money. Most importantly, we think it’s a great looking car that punches above its weight on practicality and price.

CC&V VERDICT

Economical motoring for those not ready to go full EV just yet. Great in the city and you’ll love the space on offer inside.

CC&V RATING: N N N N N

The Jaguar F-Pace has been given an upgrade, with a bigger battery pack for the P400e PHEV and an improved interior. With 20 per cent of current UK F-Pace sales being plug-in, predominantly in the fleet sector, it’s a chance for the new P400e to increase its market share in a very competitive sector.

For company car drivers the big news is the plug-in’s increased electric range, up 20 per cent from 33 to 40 miles. This is thanks to a larger lithium-ion battery, which now comprises of nine modules instead of eight, increasing energy storage capacity to 19.2kWh and resulting in an electric-only driving range of 40 miles.

Furthermore both C02 emissions, now 37g/ km, and fuel economy – 176.6mpg – are better too, although the car’s powertrain, all 404bhp of it, will still entertain taking you from 0-60mph in just five seconds.

Simplified model range

The 2024 Model Year F-Pace range now comprises: R-Dynamic S, R-Dynamic SE Black, R-Dynamic HSE Black, 400 SPORT and SVR. F-Pace SVR is Jaguar’s pinnacle performance SUV. Powered exclusively by Jaguar’s 550PS

5.0-litre V8 supercharged petrol engine, it is capable of accelerating from 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds and can reach a top speed of 178mph.

The powertrain range comprises 404PS four-cylinder petrol PHEV, 250PS four-cylinder petrol, 204PS MHEV four-cylinder diesel, 300PS six-cylinder diesel MHEV, 400PS six-cylinder petrol MHEV and 550PS V8 petrol with all F-Pace models feature intelligent all-wheel drive & eight-speed automatic transmissions

Higher specced models

MY2024 F-PAce now features enriched specifications: R-Dynamic S models now feature a Digital Driver Display & 19” wheels as standard, while R-Dynamic SE Black and above now all feature Interactive Driver Display with an Ebony Suedecloth headliner as standard

Improved connectivity.

JLR’s Pivi Pro infotainment now includes integrated Alexa voice control2 and what3words2 navigation, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay® 2 & Wireless Android Auto™2 as standard

Upgrades to model range

The R-Dynamic S, SE Black and HSE Black models are equipped with 19, 20 and 21” wheels respectively, and are offered with a choice of diamond-turned or black finish (all available with optional self-sealing tyres), while the 400 SPORT now has an increased wheel size as standard, offering 22” forged wheels – Style 1020 in Gloss Silver with diamondturned finish and contrast inserts.

The centre caps on all are now black and silver in place of the previous red and silver.

F-PACE’s assured, dynamic presence is heightened still further with the Black Pack –now standard on all models from the R-Dynamic SE Black through to the SVR – and which now has the Gloss Black finish applied to the door mirror caps as well as the grille, grille surround, window surrounds, fender vents, rear valance and rear badges.

Another subtle change is the R-Dynamic grille badge updated to a contemporary black and grey instead of red & green.

Prices

Prices start at £48,660 for the D-200 R Dynamic 2.0-litre diesel F-Pace, with the P400e

PHEV priced from £69,280. We drove the current F-Pace PHEV last November and really enjoyed the experience. The improvements will make it more appealing in the corporate sector, especially the extra 7-10 miles of electric-only range.

Conclusion

While the P400e isn’t cheap, its company car tax saving credentials are the real winners here. The cabin is comfortable and spacious and much improved over the original F-Pace. Only the smaller boot space over the ICE versions is a compromise.

Furthermore, if you’re looking for a large SUV that’s great to drive, will return close to 40mpg, and undercuts similar offerings from Germany on price, it’s well worth considering.

The tax savings are the real winners here... and it’s a large SUV that is great to drive, returns close to 40mpg and undercuts similar offerings from Germany... well worth considering