Toyota Yaris Cross review

Driving position

The fundamentals haven’t changed with this refreshed Yaris Cross, and that’s a good thing. Despite being a B-segment car, which is nearly as small as it gets, it feels suitably SUV-like.

The biggest difference between driving a regular Yaris and the Yaris Cross is how high you sit. Now, it’s no Range Rover, but it gives you an extra angle of visibility that you simply don’t get in most other compact hatchbacks.

It’s easy to get comfortable behind the wheel and there’s plenty of adjustment, too.

Importantly in a car of this size, it also feels roomy enough for two adults in the front. Some smaller hatchbacks and crossovers don’t really separate the driver and front passenger, but a compact arm rest between the front seats does a good job of giving the driver their own space.

It’s worth noting that only top-spec Excel and GR Sport models get height adjustment for the passenger seat. It’s a very common theme for smaller cars, but in this day and age, we'd prefer both seats to have the full range of adjustment across all trim levels.

Design models, the second trim level, have new front seats that are more supportive, with Excel models gaining part-leather trim.

As for parking, all models come from factory with a reversing camera, which has long been a Toyota trait – and one we love. Excel and GR Sport models get an upgraded 360-degree parking camera setup which is, naturally, more useful.

Neither have the crisp resolution of, say, a Volkswagen T-Cross, but you’re not watching 4K films, so what more do you need? Suffice to say the cameras do the job.

Tech and features

Toyota Yaris Cross trims

– Icon

– Design

– Excel

– GR Sport

Icon is the standard model, and it includes a smaller nine-inch touchscreen and seven-inch digital instrument display.

Toyota reckons Design and Excel will be the best sellers – Design upgrades to a 10.5-inch touchscreen and Excel adds a 12.3-inch instrument cluster on top. For tech, we think Excel... excels.

Another worthwhile upgrade in the 2026 facelift is the addition of a powered boot lid, which is standard on Excel and GR Sport models. Considering the 360-degree cameras and optional panoramic sunroof are also reserved for these trims, we’d certainly be aiming for a higher trim level.

For convenience, Design and above also has a wireless phone charger, which is new, and parking sensors.

Engines and power

Toyota Yaris Cross performance stats

– Power: 130hp

– 0-62mph: 10.7 to 11.3 seconds

– Top speed: 109mph

– Driven wheels: Front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD-i)

Power comes in the form of the already-familiar 1.5-litre self-charging hybrid. Previously available with 116hp and 130hp options, 130hp has now become the standard (and only option) across the whole lineup.

The 91hp three-cylinder petrol engine provides the long-lasting power, but importantly, its 84hp electric motor gives you the low-down shove you need. It has considerably more torque than the petrol engine, so the Yaris Cross feels suitably punchy around town.

0-62mph in 10.7 seconds is nothing to shout about, but actually, because of that electric shove, it feels a touch quicker.

Unlike many other rivals, the Yaris Cross uses a CVT transmission, which is well-suited to this car’s effortless nature.

Excel models also have an optional all-wheel-drive setup, but this is unlikely to be a popular pick. The Yaris Cross is hardly an off-roader, and you still get the same combined output of 130hp (and a slower 0-62mph time, due to the extra weight and complexity).

All you gain is a tiny 5hp electric motor on the rear axle to give you a helping hand.

However, in a world of simplified engine lineups and limited trim options, we’re eternally grateful that Toyota still gives its buyers the choice.

Handling and ride comfort

We tested the Yaris Cross in Design and Excel trims, which means 17-inch and 18-inch wheels.

Despite more metal and less rubber, the bigger alloys don’t impact the ride that much, so there’s no harm going for the more premium Excel if you want a fuller package.

The Yaris Cross tends to sit in the middle compared with other compact crossovers – some handle better in corners and some are more comfortable.

We’d probably like this car to lean slightly more to the comfort side than it does, because some rivals manage to disguise poor surfaces better.

As for the hybrid side of things, it's nice to have two separate drive gears – 'D' and 'B'. 'B' ramps up the regenerative braking to restore more energy back into the battery, but its more like changing down one gear rather than hitting the brakes, as it would be in something like a Tesla. Another thing that just helps the Yaris Cross to feel familiar and unintrusive.

Boot space

Toyota Yaris Cross boot space:

– Boot space: 350 litres

– Incl. rear seats folded: 1,097 litres

Per official testing, the Toyota Yaris Cross has a 350-litre boot, which is far more than the 286 litres offered in the regular Yaris. But up to the roof, you’ve got 460 litres of space, which is family SUV territory.

We also liked the fact that the false floor keeps things flat and easy for loading.

Other compact crossovers have more space, including the Renault Captur (484 litres with the rear seats slid all the way back, not forward) and the Hyundai KONA Hybrid (466 litres).

Rear seats

Not much changed here compared with earlier editions – there’s enough room for two adults, but fitting three side-by-side won’t be as easy.

Headroom is better, though, because of the Yaris Cross’s roof shape.

We also like the fold-down middle seat, which has cupholders built into it. It’s a clever way to get around fitting a rear armrest into what is essentially a small car.

Toyota Yaris Cross dimensions

– Height: 1,595mm

– Width: 1,765mm (excl. door mirrors)

– Length: 4,172m

– Kerb weight: Up to 1,500kg

Safety

Toyota’s known for building safe cars, and that’s still one of the Yaris Cross’s strongest cards to play compared with other crossovers.

All models get a pre-collision system, lane departure alert, adaptive cruise control, road sign assist and, for the first time, automatic high beams.

Unfortunately, a blind-spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert are optional on Design and totally excluded from Icon.

The Yaris Cross got a respectable but not game-changing four-star Euro NCAP rating before the facelift.

Fuel economy

Toyota argues the Yaris Cross offers best-in-class fuel economy of up to 64.1mpg on Icon and Design models, 58.8mpg for Excel and GR Sport models, and 55.3mpg for the AWD-i variant.

We put fuel efficiency to the test, engaging Eco mode and driving gently, but not unreasonably. In a competition, we scored an impressive (but not winning) 81.6mpg in an Excel model over an hour’s driving.

A shorter and more realistic drive in the Design model afterwards saw us returning with a figure closer to 55-60mpg.

In other words, even if you’re not trying, Toyota’s figures don’t lie.

With a 36-litre tank at 64.1mpg, we’re talking over 500 miles between pumps. That’s about double what a similarly sized electric crossover might be able to offer.

Reliability

Reliability is another strong suit, and the brand consistently performs well in consumer ratings.

There’s no wonder Toyota backs all of its cars with up to ten years’ warranty, with annual servicing at Toyota garages.

It’s also a brand that knows a thing or two about hybrids and high-voltage batteries, after arguably popularising the hybrid with its Prius more than two decades ago.