2024 Toyota Yaris: A Practical and Economical Small Sedan for Urban Living

The 2024 Toyota Yaris entered its fourth generation in 2019 for the 2020 model year. It excels in fuel efficiency and reliability thanks to its hybrid engine technology. While the Yaris boasts excellent real-world fuel economy and a strong track record of reliability, the ride quality is generally described as firm, especially on higher-spec models, and the rear passenger space could be more accommodating. 

Despite its efficiency and impressive hybrid powertrain, the Yaris is up against tough competition in the small car segment. Rivals like the VW Polo demand the market's attention with a better interior and ride quality. Be as it may, the new Yaris is practical, efficient, and reliable even if it doesn’t match the overall package offered by some of its competitors in terms of comfort and quality. 

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The Toyota Yaris Is Still Alive In 2024

The current market trends towards SUVs and trucks are largely responsible for the Toyota Yaris’ discontinuation in the USA. Toyota had to reevaluate its lineup to focus on the more popular and profitable segments, with the Yaris as one of the casualties of this shakeup. 

Toyota pulled it from the US market to coincide with the Yaris' fourth generation in regions like Europe and Asia. Yes, the Yaris lives on in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. A compact, fuel-efficient model like his Yaris is bound to be popular in European countries where smaller cars make more sense due to urban driving conditions and narrower roads. 

Naturally, the Yaris needs to undergo further changes or adaptations to keep pace with the evolving market trends and regulatory requirements – the increasing focus on electric and hybrid powertrains, for example. 

New Upgrades On The 2024 Toyota Yaris

The Toyota Yaris is updated for 2024, particularly in the hybrid engine department. It’s now more powerful thanks to its new hybrid engine. Toyota reportedly worked closely with its World Rally Team, including World Champions and rally winners, to identify areas for improvement in the new GR Yaris. 

The driving position now features lowered seats and dashboards to optimize visibility and create a more driver-focused environment. Toyota also revamped the cabin for better ergonomics, with structural tweaks to increase rigidity. The goal is to create a more capable Yaris in various conditions, including Finland's frozen lakes, where the Yaris is very popular. 

The Updated GR Yaris

The Yaris GR variant also received performance updates for the 2024 model year. The GR is engineered to thrive on various surfaces, boasting a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine producing 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. The engine finds companionship with a new eight-speed GAZOO Racing Direct Automatic Transmission. 

Besides the performance upgrade, the new GR Yaris’ interior is redesigned with a focus on driver comfort and ergonomics, exemplified by the above-mentioned lowered driving position, improved visibility, and a driver-focused cockpit with digital instrumentation. It uses a full-time all-wheel drive and offers new selectable drive modes. 

^{The world premiere of the evolved GR Yaris special editions at Rallye Monte Carlo, the first round of the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship} 

The European market gets a single "Circuit" specification version with a powertrain cooling package as standard equipment. Additionally, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing introduced exclusive Ogier and Rovanperä special tribute editions in honor of the world champion drivers. 

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The 2024 Yaris Cross Overview

The 2024 Toyota Yaris Cross accompanies its powerful hybrid powertrain with cutting-edge features. It boasts a fully digital user experience with the latest Toyota Smart Connect multimedia package, a customizable driver's instrument display, and a digital key smartphone app. 

The new Yaris Cross boasts upgraded features on the Toyota Safety Sense suite of driver assistance and safety systems. It has adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, and enhanced safety systems. It shares its hybrid electric powertrain with the GR Sport and new Premiere Edition models. 

It’s a new hybrid technology with excellent fuel efficiency, combining a 1.5-liter hybrid petrol engine and optional all-wheel drive with an additional electric motor to generate 116 hp. This supports decent performance and improved fuel economy. 

2024 Toyota Yaris Powertrain And Performance

The 2024 Toyota Yaris is a full-hybrid featuring a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder petrol engine paired with an electric motor and a CVT-style automatic gearbox. This hybrid powertrain gives the new Yaris enough energy to travel in pure EV mode for around 80% of typical urban journeys and reach 80 mph top speed before the petrol engine kicks in. 

The base Yaris trim level is good for 115 horsepower and accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 10.3 seconds. While the Premium and GR Sport top trims excite with 129 horsepower, the Yaris models offer different drive modes, including EV, Power, and Eco. The GR variant features an automatic transmission, more power, improved cooling, and upgraded interior design. 

How Much Is The 2024 Toyota Yaris?

The 2024 Toyota Yaris pricing across trim levels in Australia is as follows: 

• 2024 Toyota Yaris Ascent Sport: $28,500
• 2024 Toyota Yaris SX: $31,960
• 2024 Toyota Yaris ZR: $34,530

The 2024 Toyota Yaris For US Customers

Can you import the 2024 Toyota Yaris into the United States and be able to drive it legally on public roads? It’s a complex process with import regulations, emissions requirements, and logistical bottlenecks to consider. 

Let’s be clear that it’s entirely possible to import the Yaris from Europe to the US with the right forms, emissions modifications, and payments of duties, taxes, and shipping fees. It's also possible to end up being asked to send the car to the crusher even after successfully getting it through customs. 

You have to assume that the US emissions requirements may or may not use a similar US model of the same year to compare to the Europe Yaris. If they did, the closest model to the Yaris in the USA is the Toyota Corolla, which should be good news because the 2024 Corolla uses a larger 2.0-liter engine versus the Yaris’ 1.5-liter. It probably helps to keep in mind that the US Yaris was based on the Mazda platform and built in Mexico, while the European Yaris is built in France or Japan.