Toyota Yaris Cross review

The Toyota Yaris Cross is a mix of two things the Japanese brand does well – small hybrid cars and SUVs. In theory, then, it should be good.

At first glance, with its compact size, ability to run on electric power at low speeds and optional four-wheel drive, the Yaris Cross does indeed look as though it lives up to the "authentic urban adventurer" tag Toyota’s marketers have given it.

It's based on the Toyota Yaris hatchback but is longer and wider (roughly the size of a Nissan Juke) and, like that model, offers the sort of raised driving position that's attractive to many potential SUV buyers.

The Yaris Cross is up against plenty of other cars of course. For example, there's the sharp-handling Ford Puma, the recently updated Skoda Kamiq and the comfy and practical VW T-Roc. There's also the Lexus LBX – a premium hybrid SUV that's closely related to the Yaris Cross and is our 2024 Car of the Year.

So does the Toyota Yaris Cross have what it takes to stand out among the best small SUVs? Read on to find out...

The Toyota Yaris Cross is available only as a regular hybrid and uses a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine in conjunction with an electric motor.

On most versions, the engine and motor together produce 114bhp, but if you choose GR Sport trim you get the option of upgrading to a 129bhp version (bringing it closer to the power output of the related Lexus LBX).

Neither engine makes the Yaris Cross the quickest small SUV out there: we achieved a 0-60mph time of 10.0 seconds in a 114bhp car. Still, that matching the least-powerful versions of the Ford Puma and Skoda Kamiq and is brisker than the equivalent VW T-Roc or VW Taigo.

When you start pressing on, the petrol engine accelerates up to motorway speeds without much bother. The 129bhp engine doesn’t turn the Yaris Cross into a sports car but its extra grunt is welcome when joining motorways or overtaking slow traffic. It’s worth considering if you make a lot of long journeys.

Their electric motors see to it that both versions offer plenty of shove off the line and – if you're gentle with the accelerator – the Yaris Cross will run solely on electric power around town for lengthy periods. When running on electricity, it’s quieter than petrol-only rivals, while bringing down average fuel consumption.

When the petrol engine chimes in, the Yaris Cross gets a lot noisier. That’s down to the CVT automatic gearbox – it's responsive, but holds the revs near the red line when you’re accelerating or climbing a hill. As with rival small SUVs you'll notice a few engine vibrations reaching the interior.

Things settle down again once you're up to speed. On motorways you’ll notice a fair amount of road noise emanating from the tyres, but a 2024 update reduced the level of wind noise from around the windscreen and side windows, and the Yaris Cross is generally relatively hushed for an SUV.

The cars we’ve tried so far have been fitted with 17in alloy wheels or larger, and we would expect the 16in wheels of entry-level Icon trim to generate slightly less road noise. If you’re looking for a quiet motorway cruiser, we recommend considering the VW T-Roc.

Most versions of the Yaris Cross have front-wheel drive, but the Excel and Premier Edition trim levels offer four-wheel drive. That’s rare in the small SUV class and makes the Yaris Cross more capable on muddy trails and slippery fields, although it's not in the same league as the best off-roaders. 

What about the ride? Well, the Yaris Cross is softer than most of its rivals, including the T-Roc and the Puma, meaning it’s never uncomfortable when dealing with bumps. It's similar to the Kamiq in terms of ride comfort.

The only slight disadvantage is that body control isn’t quite as good as with rivals. The Yaris Cross suffers from the most vertical body movement when driving over undulating roads, which could cause some occupants to feel momentarily uneasy.

Despite that, the Yaris Cross handles tidily enough in the bends. There’s enough grip available, and while there’s more body lean than in a Puma or T-Roc, it’s well controlled.

The light steering doesn’t give much sense of connection to the front wheels, but for a small SUV, the Yaris Cross is more than acceptable in everyday driving. The Puma continues to set the standard in this area though, with higher levels of grip and a more engaging drive.

"I spend a lot of time on the motorway, where the Yaris Cross has a slightly fidgety ride and higher noise levels than some rivals.” – Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

If you’re a fan of the high driving position you get with many SUVs, you’ll be impressed by the Toyota Yaris Cross’s lofty feel.

You sit higher up than you do in a Ford Puma or Skoda Kamiq and you won’t struggle with forward visibility because the raised seating position is combined with fairly slim windscreen pillars.

Seeing out of the back is a different story because the rear pillars are quite a bit chunkier than the Kamiq's. Thankfully, every Yaris Cross comes with a rear-view camera, while Excel trim adds front and rear parking sensors.

Getting comfortable in the Yaris Cross is easy. All versions feature a good range of manual adjustment to the steering wheel and driver’s seat. The only demerit is that you don’t get adjustable lumbar support unless you go for mid-spec Design trim or higher.

Entry-level Icon trim includes a 9.0in infotainment touchscreen. Design and above expands that to a 10.5in Smart Connect system, and Excel trim and above adds built-in sat-nav.

The smaller screen has a few more physical buttons to make navigating the core menus a little easier, so it's the more user-friendly of the two while you're driving. Fortunately, Android Auto or Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity is standard across the range, and wireless with Excel trim and above.

Icon and Design trim place a 7.0in digital driver’s display behind the steering wheel. Excel trim and above switch this for a 12.3in display that’s more configurable and can show more information at once. Top Premier Edition trim adds a colour head-up display.

Everything else in the interior is laid out in a sensible way, and you get physical controls for the standard climate control, making it a doddle to operate on the move. Everything feels sturdily screwed together, but the interior lacks the upmarket feel you get in the Nissan Juke – let alone the Mini Countryman.

“The dashboard of the Yaris Cross might be fairly basic, but I find its controls easier to operate as a result. It's also a bonus that you don't need to delve into the infotainment screen to change the temperature.” – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

There's plenty of space in the front of the Toyota Yaris Cross, including sufficient head room for those over six feet tall.

Front storage space includes two cupholders, a tray in front of the gear selector for your wallet and keys, and another one under the infotainment screen for your phone. The cubbies in each door are quite small, taking a bottle of water and not much else.

A couple of six-footers will fit in the back, with a touch more space than in the Ford Puma. Anyone wanting to stretch out will be much more comfortable in a Skoda Kamiq or VW T-Roc, while the Renault Captur and the VW T-Cross can be had with more flexible sliding rear bench.

It's also worth noting that the rear door openings are small, which can make it tricky to squeeze in a child seat or for less agile people to climb aboard.

Unlike most of its rivals, the Yaris Cross comes with 40/20/40 split folding rear seatbacks in all but entry-level trim. The slightly more expensive Mini Countryman has the same, but the Puma and most other rivals have a less versatile 60/40 split. 

Boot capacity is pretty good, at 400 litres, matching the Kamiq. In real-world terms, that means it has space for seven carry-on suitcases. The Puma’s boot is even bigger, though – we managed to fit eight cases under its tonneau cover.

To make loading larger items easier, higher-spec Excel trim comes with a handy two-piece height-adjustable boot floor that reduces the loading lip. In fact, when it's in its highest setting, there's virtually no lip at all.

“There are plenty of handy storage cubbies inside the Yaris Cross, but I found the tray below the infotainment screen too shallow to be of real use, because my keys kept sliding out of it.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor

As a cash purchase, the entry-level Toyota Yaris Cross Icon comes in at about the same price as the Ford Puma in entry-level Titanium trim.

That makes it more expensive than a similarly powerful Skoda Kamiq SE 1.0 TSI 110, but cheaper than the VW T-Roc Life. For exact prices, see our New Car Deals pages.

If you have a bit more to spend and like the idea of the Yaris Cross's hybrid tech, you can get a tweaked version of the same set-up in a premium car – to read more about that, see our Lexus LBX review.

The Yaris Cross promises to be much cheaper to run than the main rivals, particularly for company car drivers. The hybrid system keeps CO2 emissions as low as 100g/km, reducing the benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax rate.

CO2 emissions rise as you head up the trim levels, but even with four-wheel drive they remain lower than those of the front-wheel-drive Puma 1.0 Ecoboost mHEV 125.

Our Real MPG fuel economy tests on the front-wheel-drive 114bhp Yaris Cross led to a real-world average of 60.1mpg, which makes it one of the most economical cars we’ve tested. It averaged an incredible 103.3mpg on our simulated town route, making it a fantastic choice if you live in a city.

The 129bhp Yaris Cross ought not to be too far behind when it comes to real-world economy. Its official fuel consumption of 58.9mpg is pretty close to the 114bhp car's 62.8mpg.

For reference, you’d be lucky to see much more than 40mpg from a 1.0-litre Puma, T-Roc or Kamiq.

In terms of trims, we’d go for entry-level Icon because it keeps costs down but still includes plenty of kit. That includes 16in alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, a reversing camera, climate control, adaptive cruise control, auto headlights and the 8.0in infotainment touchscreen. 

We wouldn’t blame you for spending a little extra for Design trim, as that gets you some genuinely useful features such as LED headlights and roof rails.

Mid-level Excel gets heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and dual-zone climate control.

GR Sport comes with some sportier exterior styling cues, and is worth considering if you want the extra power of its 129bhp engine option.

The range-topping Premier Edition gets 129bhp as standard, but we think it's too expensive to recommend.

The Yaris Cross did well in our 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey – it came fifth out of 22 small SUV models ranked. Plus, Toyota placed an excellent second place out of 32 manufacturers in the brands table. Only Lexus did better.

You get a three-year manufacturer warranty, and that can be extended with regular servicing at a Toyota dealer. Every official service includes a 12 months warranty, up to 100,000 miles or 10 years, whichever comes first.

In terms of safety, the Yaris Cross scored the full five stars when it was tested by Euro NCAP. Standard equipment includes driver assistance systems such as automatic city braking technology (AEB), automatic high-beam assist, lane-keeping assistance and road-sign display.

Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are optional on the GR Sport and standard on Excel.

“When we tested the Yaris Cross against the Nissan Juke, we found that the Toyota would not only be cheaper to own over three years, but that it would be worth marginally more after the same period.” Dan Jones, Reviewer

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