Toyota Yaris Cross hybrid coming to Australia

Australian new vehicle sales leader Toyota will add yet another hybrid to its line-up when the Yaris Cross mini SUV arrives here later this year.

A competitor for the Mazda CX-3 and Hyundai Kona – including the Hyundai Kona Electric – the Yaris Cross will be powered by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with and without hybrid assistance.

In Europe, the hybrid version pumps out a combined 85kW and comes with both manual and automatic transmissions. Claimed fuel consumption is tipped to sit below 4.0L/100km.

We’re waiting on official confirmation of such local spec as well as pricing from Toyota Australia.

However, it has confirmed the Yaris Cross will be offered in both front- and all-wheel drive in Australia.

The electric AWD system offered with the hybrid directs drive torque to the rear axle when pulling away and when accelerating.

The Yaris Cross is based on the same TNGA-B architecture as the new-gen Yaris mini-car, but offers 30mm extra ground clearance, is 90mm taller, 20mm wider and 240mm longer.

Autonomous emergency braking will be part of the standard equipment, along with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, an infotainment touchscreen and ambient lighting.

The Yaris Cross will be the seventh SUV to join Toyota Australia’s line-up and the eighth hybrid, none of which are plug-ins.

In Australia, Toyota hybrid sales have tripled over the past two calendar years from fewer than 8500 cars in 2017 to more than 27,800 last year.

In the first three months of this year, Toyota Australia’s hybrid deliveries reached 11,756 cars or 23.5% of the brand’s local sales, both of which are records.

Globally, Toyota has sold 15 million hybrids since 1997.