The 2021 Toyota Yaris Hybrid is the gasoline-electric version of the fourth-generation XP210 Yaris, and in much of Europe it was the only version on sale. Toyota paired a 1.5-liter Atkinson-cycle three-cylinder engine with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery, producing 116 horsepower in a car that weighed well under 1,300 kg. It went on sale in Japan in February 2020 and in Europe from the summer of 2020, and it was not offered in North America. This article looks at the hybrid engine, its performance and its fuel economy.
The Fourth-Generation Hybrid System
The Yaris Hybrid used Toyota’s fourth-generation hybrid system, a self-charging full hybrid rather than a plug-in. The gasoline engine and electric motor drive through a power-split arrangement, and the battery is charged by the engine and by regenerative braking under deceleration. The result is that the car can run on electricity alone at low speed for short distances, with the engine shutting down when it is not needed, without the owner ever plugging it in. This architecture is the same family of technology Toyota has used in the Prius for decades.
Engine and Motor Specifications
The gasoline engine is a 1,490 cc three-cylinder coded M15A-FXE, running the Atkinson cycle for efficiency and producing 67 to 68 kW, or about 91 to 93 horsepower, at 5,500 rpm. The front electric motor, coded 1NM, is an alternating-current synchronous unit rated at 59 kW and 141 Nm. Combined system output is 85 kW, or 116 horsepower, with 120 Nm of engine torque between 3,600 and 4,800 rpm. Energy is stored in a 177.6-volt lithium-ion battery pack. The hybrid always drives through an electronically controlled CVT, known as an eCVT.
Performance
A European-market Yaris Hybrid tested by the British press accelerated from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in about 9.7 seconds and reached a maximum speed of roughly 109 mph. The car is tuned for smooth, quiet progress in town rather than outright pace, and the electric motor provides strong initial response from a standstill, which suits stop-start traffic. In Japan, the hybrid could be specified with E-Four electric all-wheel drive, adding a small rear motor of 3.9 kW and 52 Nm to drive the back wheels when traction demands it.
Fuel Economy and Emissions
Fuel economy was the hybrid’s strongest suit. On the WLTP combined cycle, the Dynamic-trim hybrid road-tested by Eurekar returned about 65.6 mpg and emitted 98 g/km of carbon dioxide. Toyota’s own figures for lighter hybrid grades went as low as 92 g/km. Because the hybrid was the most efficient engine in the range, it was the version Toyota sold most widely in Europe and the one that carried the fourth-generation Yaris to its 2021 European Car of the Year title.
Where It Was Available
The Yaris Hybrid was sold in Japan, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. It was never offered in the United States, where Toyota discontinued the Yaris after the 2020 model year; the American Yaris at that time was a Mazda2-based car with a conventional 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that made 106 horsepower and returned 32 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway. Buyers in North America therefore had no way to order the XP210 hybrid, which was reserved for markets that favored small, efficient hatchbacks. The 2021 Toyota Yaris Hybrid Rumors and Release Date covers the launch timeline.
How the Hybrid Drives
Toyota’s fourth-generation hybrid uses a power-split transmission rather than the stepped gears of a conventional automatic. The system decides continuously how much power to draw from the engine and the battery, and it can shut the engine off and creep on electric power at low speed. The eCVT keeps the engine in its efficient range for most of the time, which is why the car feels unhurried but economical. The hybrid cannot be plugged in, so all of its electrical energy comes from the engine and from braking.
Running Costs and Positioning
The Yaris Hybrid sat above the cheapest superminis on price but below larger hybrids, and it targeted buyers who valued fuel economy and low emissions over outright performance. Its low carbon-dioxide output made it attractive in European markets that tax cars on emissions, and Toyota’s decision to make it the only engine in some countries underlined how much of the range leaned on the hybrid. The car was also fitted with Toyota Safety Sense as standard and won a five-star Euro NCAP rating in 2020.
Related Models and Later Versions
The same hybrid drivetrain and platform went into other Toyota and Mazda products. The Yaris Cross is a subcompact crossover SUV built on the XP210’s GA-B platform, the Aqua in Japan is a dedicated hybrid hatchback on the same running gear, and in Europe the Mazda2 Hybrid is a rebadged Yaris Hybrid built at Toyota’s Onnaing plant from 2021. In May 2023 Toyota added a more powerful Hybrid 130 version in Europe, raising combined output to 130 PS with a stronger front motor.
Prices and Trim Levels
In Britain the Yaris Hybrid started at £19,910 for the Icon and reached £21,920 for the Dynamic reviewed by the press, with Design and Excel filling the middle and top of the range and a limited Launch Edition offered briefly. All UK cars used the same 116-horsepower hybrid, so price differences were about equipment such as wheels, upholstery, climate control and audio rather than performance.
The GR Yaris Sibling
Toyota’s performance Yaris is a different car. The GR Yaris is a three-door hatchback with a turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder producing 257 to 268 horsepower, a six-speed manual, permanent all-wheel drive and a rally-derived chassis. It was built to World Rally Championship homologation rules and was sold in Japan, Europe and Australasia, but not in North America, where the larger GR Corolla was offered instead.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Yaris_(XP210)
- https://www.eurekar.co.uk/articles/2021-04-10/toyota-yaris-1-5-hybrid-dynamic
- https://uk.motor1.com/news/437252/2021-toyota-yaris-uk-pricing/
- https://www.toyota.com/discontinued-vehicles/yaris-family
- https://www.jdpower.com/automotive-news/toyota-cancels-mazda2-based-yaris-after-2020
- https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/toyota-yaris-car-year-2021
