Toyota Motor Philippines has officially launched the 2024 Toyota Yaris Cross, it's newest crossover to join its local lineup of cars. The new vehicle brings RAV4-like styling but on a more compact page. It also brings a new 1.5-liter hybrid powerplant that promises excellent fuel economy while maintaining performance.

That said, Toyota allowed us to test drive the Toyota Yaris Cross right after its launch to enable us to get a few quick first impressions of the vehicle. The short test drive course was done only around Bonifacio Global City. 

Also, read: Starts at ₱1.19M! The 2024 Toyota Yaris Cross now available, hybrid at ₱1.598M

Interior

The first thing you will notice when you take the Toyota Yaris Cross for a test drive is its interior build quality. Yes, there are still durable plastics that you can find around the vehicle, but plenty of soft-touch materials are on the dashboard and door cards.

These small touches give the new crossover a more premium feel inside, especially with its modern amenities, such as a large 10.1-inch infotainment system and its digital gauge cluster.

The sunroof is also an excellent addition to the vehicle. However, we noticed a rattling sound coming from the back. We aren’t sure if it was just that specific unit, but we will update you once we get a review unit if it's a common problem. 

Driving and handling

As for its driving characteristics, it drives much like its bigger brother, the Toyota Corolla Cross. It takes bumps on with ease, but you will notice that the suspension is stiff. The damping could use some work to be a little more comfortable, as the Yaris Cross tends to crash over the humps found in BGC but does not bottom out.

We assume that this was a move by Toyota to give the vehicle “sportier” driving characteristics.

Hybrid drive

As we were able to drive the hybrid version of the 2024 Toyota Yaris Cross, we got to see up close and personal how the hybrid system was tuned. The crossover likes to prioritize charging the battery until it reaches about 50% capacity, wherein it then switches between the engine and the electric drive.

We could only enter EV mode once with the vehicle, which was a smooth experience. Thanks to its electric motor, the get-up-and-go is there with the near-instantaneous torque, but it quickly loses steam once the gasoline engine kicks in, giving you a more linear experience.

The Toyota Yaris Cross comes with two driving modes: Eco and Power. Eco feels like any other hybrid car with great low-end torque thanks to the electric motor and linear acceleration with the gasoline engine.

The power mode is better as the car wants to accelerate faster and feel like a turbo diesel. You get a lot of low to mid-range engine response, but once you reach the top end of the rev range, you lose that torque-pull feeling. 

Initial verdict

The Toyota Yaris Cross makes the most of what it can offer you with its 1.5-liter hybrid powerplant, but it lacks the power you would find in other crossover options, especially with what Chinese brands provide.

It's an overall decent car if you are after fuel economy with a balanced set of features, which includes Toyota Safety Sense and a built-in dashcam. We will update you with more insights and the fuel economy figures once we get more time with the crossover and a review unit.