Displaying items by tag: Cross

Monday, 28 June 2021 04:33

Toyota Yaris Cross first drive

Latest small SUV is good to drive and economical

Is the Toyota Yaris Cross any good?

If you're in the market for a small SUV, you're never going to complain that there isn't enough choice out there. With models from Audi to Volvo on offer, there really is something for everyone. And yet, into this mosh pit of new car activity, Toyota has entered the fray, giving us the hybrid-powered Yaris Cross, a funky new offering based on, yes, the Yaris supermini.

It gets Toyota's new, fourth generation hybrid powertrain, and should appeal to those looking for an economical and fun-to-drive small family car that offers lots of room and a family-friendly interior. The firm says it's a genuine SUV, benefiting from all the experience it has amassed with the RAV4, with two models in the range benefitting from AWD-i intelligent four-wheel drive.

However, it's up against a herd of rivals, and it needs to be good to stand out. Top of your shopping list will be the 2021 Parkers New Car of The Year-winning Ford Puma. But the Peugeot 2008, Nissan Juke, Renault Captur, Skoda Kamiq and Volkswagen T-Cross are all highly-talented alternatives.

The good news is that it has the looks and the hardware to impress in this crowd – as our early drive of a pre-production prototype here in the UK demonstrates.

What's it like inside?

Two words comes to mind after spending time in the Yaris Cross: grown up. It might be closely related to a big-selling small car, but thanks to the high seating position and roomy cabin, it feels like a car from the market sector above. The dashboard, which is similar to its namesake, is fully featured and dominated by a high-set central infotainment screen above digital climate controls (with physical temperature control knobs – yes!)

Features include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (both tested wirelessly), with an optional head-up display, adaptive cruise control and a fully digital instrument panel also on offer.

It's solid and well laid-out, with plenty of storage space for your smartphones (room and charging for two), as well as a roomy central cubby hole between the seats and spacious door bins. Our test car was marked down for extensive use of black plastics and dark materials, which means it doesn’t feel as bright and airy inside as some rivals. Having said that, for families, a dark interior is easier to keep clean.

It's 240mm longer than the Yaris hatchback, which allows more room inside. There's plenty of space up front and in the rear, with a pair of tall back-seat passengers being able to make themselves comfortable without too much difficulty. The 40:20:40 split folding rear seat, electric tailgate and split-level boot floor are all positive points. The boot floor panel can be divided in two and the luggage compartment has a flex belt system to keep items securely in place when driving.

What's it like to drive?

The Yaris Cross comes in only one guise and pairs a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor. The total power output of the two is 116hp, which compares well with its rivals. It's based on on the 2.0- and 2.5-litre powertrains in the Corolla, C-HR, RAV4 and Camry, and is good for a WLTP combined fuel economy figure of 65.9mpg and CO2 figures of less than 120g/km (135g/km for the four-wheel drive model).

Maximum speed is 105mph and the 0-62mph time is 11.2 seconds (11.8 for the four-wheel drive version). Although those performance figures don't promise an exciting drive, it feels quick off the mark and smooth in general driving when underway, with the three-cylinder engine humming away quietly in the background. It's best suited to town work, although it's quiet and refined on the motorway, too.

As a conventional hybrid (you don't plug it in), the battery and motor are there to assist the car in certain situations, but a dashboard indictor lets you know how much time it's spent in pure EV mode, and it can be surprising just how much that is. On our mainly urban test route, it reported we were in EV mode for anywhere between 60-75% of the time. We saw it running on battery comfortably up to motorway speeds. Impressive.

Handling is very good, too, with accurate and well-weighted steering, little bodyroll and a feeling of precision that's quite unusual in this market sector. We wouldn't describe it as sporty, but it's certainly keen and will keep you entertained on B-roads if you're cracking on. Despite this emphasis on roadholding, the ride quality is actually above average – it's firm, but well-damped, which means you'll feel the lumps and bumps, but they don't come crashing through uncomfortably. Overall, a very good effort.

What models and trims are available?

There are four models to choose from, plus a fully-featured Premiere Edition version, available for one year only. The entry-level Icon model comes well-equipped, but then it should, as it's not as cheap as many of its small SUV rivals.

It comes with 16-inc alloy wheels, an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment set-up with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, reversing camera and automatic headlights and wipers. Next model up is the Design, which adds larger wheels, LED headlights, aluminium roof rails and rear privacy glass.

Toyota expects the Yaris Cross Excel model to be its biggest seller, and with that, in addition to the above you also get 18-inch wheels, power-asssted tailgate with kick sensor, a larger 9.0-inch infotainment scren, Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert with auto brake, heated steering wheel and front seats and dual-zone automatic air conditioning.

The top-of-the range Dynamic model adds even more features, listed below:

Bi-tone paint finish with black roof
Door mirrors with auto-retracting function
Power lumbar adjustment on driver’s seat
Optional intelligent all-wheel drive (AWD-i)
The limited-edition Yaris Cross Premiere Edition gains black leather interior, a JBL eight-speaker sound system, and 10-inch head-up display.

What else should I know?

All models feature Toyota Safety Sense and driver assistance systems as standard. It can warn the driver of an upcoming collision and help steer and brake it out of trouble, or at least lessen the effects of a collision. It also has pedestrian and cyclist recognition, Lane Departure Alert and Road Sign Assist.

Toyota Yaris Cross verdict

Should you buy one?

Based on the pre-production prototype we've driven so far, it's looking very good for the Toyota Yaris Cross. It's good to drive, practical, roomy for passengers and luggage and in our hands on a fairly congested test route, very economical on petrol. We'll reserve judgement on just how good it is compared with the class-leading Ford Puma and Skoda Kamiq until we've spent more time with it.

Against the popular Peugeot 2008 and Renault Captur, the Yaris Cross looks very good – it's well made and well-equipped although that's reflected in the fact there are no low-priced entry-level models to tempt you into the showroom. But it's a Toyota, so the reliability is a given, the dealer support is excellent, and the warranty cover is now an unprecedented 10 years if you keep it in the dealer network.

It's looking like a safe and sound choice, which might lack the excitement and interest of some of its rivals, but it's looking good for pain-free long-term ownership.

What we like

Despite the bits of camouflage tape on our test car, we can see that it's a good-looking thing, perhaps more so than the Yaris hatchback it's based on. We like the fuel consumption and low emissions, and the fact it's available as a four-wheel drive in the top-of-the-range version.

Handling and ride are definite plus points, as its refinement and smoothness in town. The driving position is good, the controls and features are all easily managed, and there isn't an over-reliance on the touchscreen for basic functions that you'll find in certain rivals.

What we don't like

It's a shame that in offering an all-hybrid line-up in the UK (good), as it comes at a cost (bad). With a starting price well above £20,000, there will be buyers who will be put off going for a Yaris Cross, despite it offering good value for money at a higher price point.

(parkers.co.uk)

Published in Toyota
Wednesday, 24 February 2021 06:13

New Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo prototype review

We get behind the wheel of a prototype version of the new all-electric Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo ahead of its official arrival

Porsche’s first foray into the electric car world has gone better than it could’ve imagined. The Taycan has won plaudits the world over, with sales to match. So it makes sense to follow up on the success quickly with the second version of the Taycan, the Cross Turismo.

The Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo is set to be unveiled next week, but Auto Express was invited to put a pre-production model through its paces in the UK, weeks before the very car would be unveiled on stage.

There was an added twist to this car – it was in the middle of a world tour taking in the US and the rest of Europe before being taken back to Germany. And although it wore a light disguise, it wasn’t to be cleaned during its trip. So joining the Californian sand was a fair bit of Buckinghamshire mud from our own test drive.

The Cross Turismo features the running gear and much of the bodywork at the front end from the Taycan saloon, but the roof has been extended which, along with the muscular rear three-quarter bodywork, flows into a hatchback tailgate in a very similar way to the Panamera Sport Turismo.

Even behind the dirt and disguise, it’s clear what the car is – as one Panamera Sport Turismo owner spotted on our test drive. He also found out how quick the car is.

Full specs will be revealed on March 4, but the Turbo S model we’re driving uses the same electric motors (delivering 751bhp and 1,050Nm) and 93kWh battery as it’s Taycan equivalent. That means brutal acceleration with an estimated 0-62mph time of just 3.0 seconds, 0-100mph in 6.5 seconds and on to a top speed of around 160mph.

Those figures are slightly down on the saloon, but you’d hardly notice. Even in Normal mode, adjusted by a dial on the steering wheel or via the crystal clear touchscreen, a flex of your right foot will shove you back in your seat as the whine from the electric motors ramps up.

You can choose an electronically generated sound that’s a little like a space ship as part of the Electric Sport Sound pack. It comes on automatically if you select Sport or Sport Plus modes – they also sharpen up responses from the steering, throttle and suspension.

The Cross Turismo has a bit of SUV attitude, too, with Gravel mode, which raises the suspension by 10mm in addition to the 20mm the Cross Turismo gets over the standard Taycan. It doesn’t turn the car into an off-roader, but it does give you a little more confidence to take to a dirt track or tackle a deep ford, as we did.

Four-wheel drive helps, too, but the Taycan has always felt like a proper Porsche to drive; nimble and incredibly responsive for something of its size and weight.

It also rides in a way that we’ve come to expect from Porsche, but which seems to defy physics. Even in the most hardcore modes, you can live with the ride. But for everyday driving in the Normal setting – or Range if you want to try and get close to an expected 250-mile range – it’s almost limo-like, while you’re still able to enjoy the most direct steering yet in an EV and super-tight body control. The best bet is to go for your own blend of settings in Individual mode, but you can throw the car around with confidence and blast out of corners with acceleration that little else can match.

The (fast) limo experience extends to the back where the added ride height makes access a little easier, but it’s best to describe it as snug – more due to the high window line than a lack of space.

Similarly, style compromises the boot. Again, the hatch improves access, but the sloping rear screen will limit load carrying and won’t endear you to your dog.

Although this was a pre-production model, there was nothing pre-production about the build quality. Porsche cabins are as good as they get these days, with strong tech that includes a digital instrument display, two central touchscreens and even one in front of the passenger. The only rattles from this well-travelled pre-prod model came from grit coming lose from under the car – it felt incredibly solid.

One difference on our pre-production test example was the wheels – you’ll get 21-inches on production cars, ours came on 20s, wisely fitted with all-season tyres.

Although the Taycan Cross Turismo gives you plenty more than the saloon, we’re not expecting that to be reflected in the price – we reckon around £140,000 for the range-topping Turbo S – no more than a couple of grand more than its sibling. The rest of the Cross Turismo range should follow the saloon, with the exception that a rear-wheel drive version is not expected.

That won’t bother too many. Our short run in this rather special pre-prod model has proven Porsche will have yet another hit on its hands.

autoexpress.co.uk

Published in Porsche

The latest news from the world of the auto industry

"It's time for Europe to respond to the threats posed by Chinese car brands," said Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo, urging European Union countries to collaborate in addressing the i...