Toyota Yaris & Yaris Cross 2025: In a crowded compact car market, Toyota is upping the stakes with its 2025 Yaris and Yaris Cross.
These new models signal a major step for Toyota in responding to growing demand for more efficient, safer and more technologically advanced B-segment cars.
Answering the call as urban transportation needs continue to evolve, Toyota has upgraded the Yaris family with smart tech and state-of-the-art appointments that would be the envy of vehicles costing twice as much.
Evolution of an Icon
Since the debut of Yaris in 1999 and the introduction of the compact car model to Europe in 2005, it had achieved 10 million global sales by the end of 2018, and more than half of those sales have come from Europe.
The 2025 model maintains this innovative heritage but remains true to the vehicle’s “big-small” concept that has characterized the vehicle – a small, functional exterior with an unexpectedly large interior.
A multiple award-winner, the Yaris is one of Toyota’s strongest-selling models in Europe, constantly redefining its place in the fiercely-competitive B-segment market for small hatchbacks.
With its nimble architecture, it is the perfect fit for contemporary city life, providing quality that you can trust, efficiency and driving pleasure.
Powertrain Options: Two Ways to a Hybrid Different powertrain options are nothing new and a dual hybrid approach isn’t totally foreign territory.
The 2025 Yaris range sees Toyota continue as one of the leaders in hybrid technology. The range still covers “dual hybrid” options designed to cater for different customer needs, with 114bhp and 129bhp versions of the 1.5-litre hybrid system available.
Both engines provide excellent fuel returns along with best in class environmental properties.
This two-prong strategy offers 2 different performance profiles to consumers, which is not surprising given hybrid technology is now a top purchase consideration for people looking to buy in this segment.
The electric drive and petrol engine work together and provide effortless performance and convenience, there is pure electric power on pull away and also up to a speed of about 30 mph in city driving.
Design refinements: upgrade appearance
For the 2025, the style of the Yaris has been updated to make it even better looking and functional. The regular Yaris hatchback is tiny in stature with upscale exterior lines and higher quality feel.
That’s added a dollop with the Yaris Cross, with a much more butch, SUV-inspired look that’s 240mm longer and 20mm wider than its hatchback twin.
The newly facelifted exterior presents a more dynamic image, enhanced aerodynamics and a more powerful design. On the interior, there is better comfort, more premium materials, and stronger overal feel than ever before.
These design tweaks aren’t just for show either and play a role in greater aerodynamic efficiency with various underbody covers and a rear spoiler all help the Yaris Cross achieve a drag coefficient of just 0.29 Cd.
The colours offer for 2025 has been extended with some striking new options, including, from the Yaris Cross range, the Forest Green and Storm Grey bi-tone paint finishes, while on the standard Yaris, Neptune Blue is unique to the Premier Edition.
Interior Upgrades: Tech and Comfort Changes Inside, the interior has been given some tech updates and more comfort to make it feel more homey.
Both the Yaris and the Yaris Cross receive substantial upgrades in the cabin for 2025, with a concentration on user experience and comfort.
Tech As for infotainment, the suite has been updated to a 10.5-inch touchscreen and 12.3-inch digital cluster on premium trims, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto pairing as standard across the range.
It’s a massive step change over the outgoing model and brings the Yaris range into line with larger, pricier machinery.
JCMY Other new features available with the Yaris Cross line-up consists of a 12.3-inch driver’s instrument display adjustable to the driver’s preference and a more comprehensive 10.5-inch multimedia system with more powerful, and responsive functions.
The system is fully integrated with the MyToyota app, which means you and your car can stay connected, vehicle management can be done remotely.
Quality of materials is also up, with GR Sport versions getting faux suede trim, and even base models will offer hardwearing, scratch-resistant plastics that Toyota claims can cope with the most demanding daily life.
Added touches of practicality such as rubber-lined seatbacks and boot space prevent the rigours of family life, show that Toyota has given some thought into how these products are really used in everyday life by their owners.
2025 Upgrades: The Latest in Safety!
Safety is one of the biggest areas of improvement for the 2025 Yaris range. Toyota’s commitment to make the Yaris the safest car in its class is confirmed with a comprehensive suite of active and passive safety features previously available only on luxury models.
Incredible technology packages bring levels of safety into the small car sector never seen before and the Yaris can be seen as the outright safety leader in this segment.
Key features include a dramatic improvement in body rigidity and a two-generation jump in systems development.
Switching to the GA-B platform has elevated the car’s torsional rigidity to a class-leading level and means the car absorbs impacts better and maintains the shape of the passenger cabin in case of a hit.
Toyota Safety Sense: Advanced Active Safety Features
Yaris 2025 is also amongst the best equipped of all Toyota for active safety equipment with more advanced driver assistance technology, including more items from its Toyota Safety Sense suite, regardless of price, than any of its competitors in the B-segment.
All Yaris and Yaris Cross models for 2025 feature the full Toyota Safety Sense suite as standard, comprising:
Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection: A camera and radar integrated system that is capable of detecting a preceding bicycle as well as a preceding pedestrian, in daylight and in low-light conditions, in some cases even when the pedestrian is in low light with the aid of the vehicles headlights; For example, the Pre-Collision System offered on the Lexus LS for nighttime pedestrian detection.
Intersection Turn Assist: uses sensors to detect hazards about to hit the side of the car when making a turn at intersections, and can apply automatic emergency braking to avert a crash
Adaptive Cruise Control (Active Cruise Control): if you set the ACA to a distance of two (iirc, three and four dot settings are also available – I’ve seen 2,3,4, five dot settings go to three, four, six, and eight respectively): at two dots this feature will stop the Yaris if the vehicle in front of you stops.
Lane Departure Alert with Steering Control and Lane Trace Assist: these features alert the driver if the driver is moving out of the lane, and can apply slight steering force to the Yaris if necessary to keep it in its lane or help it return to its lane.
The higher-grade Excel and Premier Edition further add blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and safe exit assist as standard. The optional safety pack is available on the GR Sport trim too.
All Yaris Cross models will also be equipped with updated generation Toyota Safety Sense technologies as standard, Toyota has said.
That goes for possibilities like over-the-air updates, a new camera and radar system able to see farther and wider, and Acceleration Suppression, which applies the brakes to check any rapid acceleration when it detects you’re about to run into the vehicle in front.
Secondary Safety Hubcaps that are Passive
In addition to the active safety measures, Toyota has also worked to improve passive safety items. The Yaris is the first Toyota to have centre airbags in addition to the standard driver, passenger and side airbags.
Other passive safety features include Anti-lock braking system, Brake Assist, Electronic brake-force, Distribution, Vehicle Stability Control system, Height-adjustable front-seat belts, Crash sensor, Tyre pressure monitorŃ front, Impact beamsŃ front, Impact beamsŃ side, WarningŃ door ajar, and Traction control.
All these safety features have helped the Yaris line-up achieve high safety ratings. The Yaris received five stars out of five from Euro NCAP, while the Yaris Cross scored just as impressively when tested in 2021 with a respectable safety assist systems rating of 81% and an adult occupant safety score of 86%.
The Model Variants: Something for Every Taste
With 2025 Yaris and Yaris Cross offered in an array of grades, customers can choose the equipment and features best tailored to their taste and lifestyle.
On the regular Yaris the trim levels range upwards from Icon, through Design and then Excel to the top-of-the-range Premier Edition. The tempestuous GR Sport posh-up gets its own suspension setting, unique exterior trinketry and interior garnish.
The Yaris Cross is treated to a sporting twist with the addition of the GR Sport grade – the second element of the dual strategy to increase the high-grade offering and built on the Excel grade.
It has unique design elements, GR-badged touches, and sport-tuned suspension.
The 1.5L version is equipped with a 7-inch floating display with Android Auto for convenient smartphone linking, while the 1.3L comes with an in-dash touch audio with 3-Line LCD Display, with highly advanced Bluetooth capabilities, MP3 playback, CD, radio, USB and AUX connectivity.
Practical Aspects: Region and Efficiency
Despite their small footprints, the Yaris and Yaris Cross provide great practicality too. At 397 liters, it’s not far off the mark of the 400-liter Skoda Kamiq, though falls short compared to the Peugeot 2008’s 434 litres.
The absence of a load lip and the generous boot opening make loading heavy items very simple, and an adjustable boot floor and convenient luggage hooks boost practicality.
Unique selling points for the Yaris Cross are all-wheel drive, which is surprisingly rare in this segment. The Yaris Cross is on sale with the option of all-wheel drive, but it does eat into overall boot space somewhat, down to 320 liters with the seats up.
For the vast majority of urban commuters, the standard front-wheel-drive setup has been the best compromise between fuel economy and performance.
Fuel economy continues to be a standout feature for both the Mazda3 and the Cruze.
Fuel efficiency of the 2025 Toyota Yaris is one of its alluring points giving an estimated 36-40 MPG cops up to a 32-35 MPG in the city and 40-42 MPG on the highway. It gets great gas mileage for both city and highway driving.
Reliability and Ownership Experience
This is where Toyota’s signature reputation for reliability becomes one of the Yaris family’s biggest selling points. The Yaris Cross is a recent arrival, so there isn’t a long track record for it yet.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that this Yaris Cross has plenty of commonality with other Toyotas, which tend to rate very highly indeed in reliability surveys.
In the small-car class of the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, the Yaris came ninth out of 15 models. As a maker, Toyota ended a robust fifth out of 31 brands in the general league table.
This places the brand well clear of many rivals, providing owners with peace of mind over their vehicle’s long-term durability and reliability.
Warranty Toyota is one point in which Toyota has its rivals beaten. A three-year warranty is standard with the Yaris, but it can be extended to 10 years and 100,000 miles if you have your car serviced at a Toyota dealership every 12 months.
That’s a lot more peace of mind than many of the segment’s rivals provide, although the likes of Kia still manage to get one up on the Koreans with their seven-year warranty that doesn’t demand you use dealerships for servicing.
Looking to the Future
The 2025 revisions to the Yaris and Yaris Cross are leaps forward, however Toyota is not sitting pretty. Toyota wants to increase the Yaris’ electric-only range and add AI-based safety features by 2026.
As rivals evolve their respective tech toolkits, this ongoing innovation will be critical in keeping the Yaris family ahead of the pack.
There is hope for the future toyota-yaris. Toyota is likely to build on its innovation, with focus on dynamic evolution of the Yaris with evolution in the areas of hybrid technology, connectivity, and autonomous driving features, as the market continues to evolve.
The progressive electrification of the European (and global) car market and the continued evolution of consumer tastes and requirements in favour of alternative mobility solutions are bound to play a part in the future of the Yaris family, which could very well include pure electric models a few years from now.”
Raising The Bar
2025 Toyota Yaris and Yaris Cross strike the perfect balance between compact and paradox – and what you get is big car features in a small car footprint.
They provide the best efficiency without sacrificing the performances, using the most advanced technologies without giving up ease of use, and total customization, with all those premium features you demand, at an affordable price.
Most significant of all: the 2025 full safety upgrades further reinforce Toyota’s determination is to provide its customer with protection, no matter the vehicle size or price segment.
By introducing high technology ADAS technology and class-leading passive safety equipment to the B-segment, Toyota is helping democratise technology that was previously the reserve for high-end models.
For urban drivers who appreciate having a small, efficient and technologically advanced car, the 2025 Yaris and Yaris Cross are hard packages to beat without making sacrifices.
They build upon Toyota’s phenomenal track record for creating vehicles with originality in the compact car segment and are primed to set new benchmarksin terms of safety, fuel efficiency and overall value.
Through their modern, yet appropria te, technology and forward-thinking design, the 2025 Yaris and Yaris Cross will surely keep Toyota ahead in the tightly contested C-segment for many years to come.