The new 2021 Toyota Yaris Cross was supposed to make its global debut at Geneva International Motor Show 2020
COVID-19 pandemic has extended its harm beyond human health to affect several businesses across the world. Global automotive industries are struggling and many leading OEMs have formulated a fresh working strategy to minimise losses. With dealerships remaining closed, automakers have turned towards online platforms to sell their products as well as to host various events. Safety protocols have caused the cancellation of many important events in the field of automobiles, including the prestigious Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS).
Toyota Motor Corporation, among other major brands, had planned to introduce a range of new products at GIMS 2020 that was supposed to happen in March. This included the 2021MY Toyota Yaris Cross but the Japanese car manufacturer has now unveiled the crossover online.
As the name suggests, the 2021 Yaris Cross is based on the new-gen Yaris hatchback’s platform. It is positioned below the C-HR compact crossover in the brand’s product portfolio. Toyota India has not shared any plans to bring the C-HR to our market even though it was spotted a few times on Indian roads. The all-new Toyota Yaris Cross is much smaller than the C-HR while its length, width and height have grown by 240mm, 20mm and 90mm compared to the base Yaris hatchback (or ‘supermini’ in European terms). There is no change in wheelbase.
In its Brass Gold paint shade, the 2021 Yaris Cross accentuates the latest lines from Toyota’s design studio. The crossover looks interestingly quirky than being aesthetically brilliant. Global automotive markets (including India) are going behind compact crossovers and manufacturers are bound to bring out the best in the segment rather than sinking under the popular choices.
Another highlight of the crossover is its 1.5-litre 85kW (114bhp) hybrid all-wheel-drive powertrain. The petrol unit works on the Atkinson cycle like some of the modern-day Toyota models. The company has not revealed its full specifications or fuel economy figures yet. Still, we can expect the numbers to be slightly higher than its regular hatchback avatar.
The 2021 Toyota Yaris Cross will hit the European markets first to lock horns with the Nissan Juke, Ford Puma and Volkswagen T-ROC, after which it will be filtered down to other potential regions. The Yaris Cross may not come to the Indian market in the foreseeable future but Toyota India could introduce its own version of Maruti Suzuki’s Vitara Brezza subcompact crossover soon — just like the Toyota Glanza and Maruti Suzuki Baleno.
