The 2021 Toyota Yaris is an early example of the fourth-generation Yaris, the subcompact hatchback Toyota sells in Japan, Europe and Australasia under the internal XP210 model code. It was not sold in the United States; Toyota ended American Yaris sales after the 2020 model year, so the 2021 car described here is the TNGA-based hatchback that replaced the earlier Vitz-derived model in most of the world. Toyota revealed the car in 2019, began production in February 2020 and launched it in Japan on 10 February 2020, meaning the 2021 version was a carryover of the same generation.
Fourth-Generation Yaris: What It Is
The XP210 is the first Toyota built on the GA-B version of Toyota New Global Architecture, the company’s modular small-car platform. Development was led by chief engineer Yasunori Suezawa, with Takashi Uehara as chief hybrid engineer. Toyota designed the car around a “Condensed and Agile” theme, and the standard body is a five-door hatchback; a three-door shell was used only for the GR Yaris performance model. The same platform underpins the Yaris Cross SUV, the Aqua hybrid and the GR Yaris, and from 2022 the car was also rebadged as the Mazda2 Hybrid in Europe. In Japan the launch also marked the debut of the Yaris nameplate itself, because every previous Japanese-market car in this line had been badged Vitz; Toyota said the change was tied to falling sales and an effort to broaden the model’s appeal, along with the Yaris name’s World Rally Championship association.
Exterior and Design
Rather than following rivals that grow with every generation, the XP210 was slightly shorter than the car it replaced and its roofline was about 40 mm lower. Toyota increased the width, wheelbase and track to recover and improve cabin space, which produced the wider, lower stance the design team used to convey the sense of a sprinter in the blocks. Short overhangs and pronounced front and rear wings reinforced the effect.
The front end centered on a large grille and the Toyota emblem, with LED headlights on most grades. The light units stretched toward the front wheels to visually shorten the front overhang, and the indicators alternated with the daytime running lights. The hood appeared longer than before and the A-pillars were moved rearward to improve forward visibility. Wheels measured 16 or 17 inches, and the 16-inch cars had a turning radius of 5.2 meters.
Interior and Packaging
Toyota lowered the instrument panel and pulled the A-pillar back to open up the view ahead, then moved the front seats 60 mm rearward and dropped the hip point by 21 mm. The steering wheel used a smaller diameter, and the front seats were spaced further apart to increase the distance between driver and passenger. A head-up display — a 10-inch color unit on the Launch Edition — was offered so that key information floated in the driver’s line of sight.
The cabin used an eight-inch central touchscreen and a “binocular” instrument layout that flanked a TFT information display on Design grade and above. The wider body and longer wheelbase translated into more shoulder room and rear legroom than the outgoing model despite the smaller overall footprint, which is the main reason the car remained competitive in the city-car class.
Performance and Driving Dynamics
Toyota stiffened the GA-B structure to a degree it said was 37 percent better than the previous chassis and drivetrain, with a stiffer front bulkhead and more spot welds and structural adhesive. The rear torsion beam was made 80 percent stiffer, which allowed softer springs for ride comfort. The center of gravity sat about 12 mm lower than the old car, helped by the lower roof and lower seats.
The 2021 Yaris was offered with two main powertrains in most markets:
- 1.5-liter three-cylinder gasoline (M15A-FKS): about 120 hp, driving the front wheels through a manual or CVT transmission
- 1.5-liter hybrid (M15A-FXE plus electric motor): 114 bhp (116 PS) combined, with an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission
The non-hybrid 1.5-liter engine is the conventional counterpart to the hybrid’s Atkinson-cycle unit, sharing the same three-cylinder, 1,490 cc architecture. Toyota also offered a smaller three-cylinder engine in some European markets, but the 1.5-liter gasoline and the hybrid were the two choices relevant to most buyers in 2021.
Hybrid Versus Gasoline
The hybrid was the more efficient option. Toyota quoted a 0–62 mph time of 9.7 seconds for the European hybrid, combined WLTP fuel economy from 68.9 mpg and CO2 emissions of 92 g/km, and said the system could drive on electric power alone at speeds of up to 80 mph. The gasoline model was lighter and simpler but used more fuel. In Australia, Toyota positioned the Yaris Hybrid as the indirect replacement for the discontinued Prius c.
Availability and Release Date
The fourth-generation Yaris reached Europe and Japan in 2020 and went on sale in Australia and New Zealand in August 2020. Australian cars came in three grades: Ascent Sport, SX and ZR. Toyota of Japan facelifted the car in January 2024, so a 2021 model predates that update. Because Toyota does not apply a single global model-year system to the Yaris, buyers should check the market and build date of any specific car rather than relying on the year alone.
Related Toyota reviews on this site: 2021 Toyota Yaris Hybrid Interior Changes and Price, 2021 Toyota Yaris Hybrid Engine Performance and Release, and Car Review.
