Toyota Philippines Gives 2018 Yaris More Style, Tech, Outstanding Safety For All Variants

Toyota Motor Philippines has updated the Yaris hatchback with new style, more tech, and a move we applaud, standard safety that we think shouldn’t be scrimped on.

First, the looks. For a refresh, the changes are quite major. A completely new front fascia dominates the changes, with a large lower front grille, more rounded headlights, with the S rocking projector-type headlights, and more pronounced faux vents housing the foglights. The overall treatment makes the car look rounder at the front, while the rear gets new tail lights design with LEDs for the top trim S variant. New alloy wheel designs in relatively small 15-inch sizes and a sharks-fin antenna round up the design changes for 2018.

The interior also receives a host of changes. There’s a new dashboard design including new blue-lit gauges, and a standard 7-inch touch screen infotainment system with Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay, another move we applaud. Hopefully, Android users will benefit from Android Auto in the future, too. The top trim S variant gets an automatic climate control system, passive entry with push button start, 6-speakers, power folding mirrors, and welcome home lights that lets the lights stay on for a certain amount of time after turning the car off.

Mechanically, the Yaris is unchanged. It still is powered by the same 1.3 lilter and 1.5 liter Dual VVT-i inline-4 petrol engines. The 1.3 liter produces 98 hp and 123 Nm of torque, while the 1.5 liter produces 107 hp and 141 Nm of torque. The 1.3 E is available with a CVT or a 5-speed manual, while the 1.5 S only has a CVT with paddle shifters, plus ECO and SPORT mode switchable driving modes.

A move we really applaud here at Go Flat Out is Toyota’s decision to offer all their standard safety equipment to all variants. 7 airbags, ABS with EBD, Electronic Stability Control, and Hill Start Assist all come as standard for all variants, and it’s a move we hope all car manufacturers would do in the future.