2018 Toyota Yaris Preview
CARS.COM
Competes with: Nissan Versa Note, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio
Looks like: A stab at making the 2018 sportier, less cute
Drivetrain: Likely to carry over the 106-horsepower, 1.5-liter four-cylinder with four-speed automatic or five-speed manual and front-wheel drive
Hits dealerships: Summer 2017
Toyota’s Yaris subcompact will roll into 2018 with a light styling refresh and upgraded entertainment technology. Debuting at the 2017 New York International Auto Show in April, it will continue to be available in two- and four-door hatchback models and in three trims: L, LE and SE.
More New York Auto Show Coverage
Exterior
The Yaris gets a bigger grille with chrome accents and new front bumper design that overall is a little more aggressive and less cute than the outgoing version. On the top-of-line SE, the bigger grille gets piano-black mesh and standard 16-inch alloy wheels with dark accents. New taillights now stretch horizontally into the liftgate, and a new rear bumper with new lower trim gives it a wider look. The paint colors include two new options and a pair of two-tone combinations.
Interior
The 2018 L and LE trims now will get the Entune multimedia system with 6.1-inch touchscreen, common on other Toyotas. It includes voice control, a USB port, satellite radio capability and six speakers. The SE gets an upgraded version of the Entune system with a 7-inch display. As with other Toyotas, neither includes Apple CarPlay or Android Auto phone integration.
The L trim also gets an upgraded three-spoke steering wheel with tilt adjustment and audio controls. And both the L and LE now will get the same sport dashboard as the SE, with its analog instruments including a tachometer and an LCD display with information such as trip meters, clock, outside temperature and more. Cloth upholstery is standard: black and gray in the L and LE, all black in the SE.
Under the Hood
Toyota did not specify any powertrain changes for the 2018 version of the front-wheel-drive subcompact. The 2017 offers a 106-hp, 1.5-liter four-cylinder with four-speed automatic or five-speed manual. We’ll report any further details after the debut at the New York auto show.
Safety
Carrying over for 2018 is a standard safety technology package that includes Toyota’s Safety Sense-C front collision warning with automatic braking, a lane departure warning and automatic high beams.
