Toyota Boosts Power on Refreshed Yaris Hybrid
Toyota has ramped up the power output of its hybrid powertrain in the refreshed Yaris compact urban car.
The updates to Yaris’s full self-charging hybrid electric powertrain sees it retain its 1.5-liter gasoline engine but by deploying the transaxle from the latest, fifth generation of Toyota’s market-leading hybrid electric technology, it now offers more power, more torque and more rewarding driveability.
A new transaxle with a larger and more powerful electric motor-generator and revisions to the power control unit’s (PCU) software and hardware have raised total system output by 12%, from 114bhp to 129bhp. There’s a significant hike in torque, too, with the maximum from the MG2 electric motor increased by 30% across the total rpm band, from 103ft-lbs to 136ft-lbs.
This translates into a noticeably faster acceleration with half a second has been taken off the 0-62mph time, now at 9.2 seconds, and there’s also a reduction in the 50 to 75mph time to 7.5 seconds. These gains have been secured with only a modest upshift in CO2 emissions; the Yaris retains its claimed best-in-class status in this regard, with 96-116g/km.
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
