2018 Toyota Yaris facelift launched in the Philippines

After making its world premiere in The Land of Smiles last September, Toyota Motors Philippines (TMP) has officially launched the refreshed Yaris in the country. Sporting a new look, as well as a redesigned cabin, Toyota is looking to remain a top player in the lucrative B-segment hatchback.

Beginning with its exterior, the 2018 Yaris gets a heavily revised front fascia courtesy of the brand's 'Keen Look' design philosophy. It gets new upswept headlights reminiscent on the ones found on the Corolla Altis. Meanwhile the front bumper has been given a more rounded look. There's also the large air intake at the front and the reshaped foglight housings. The top-spec model gets projector halogens while entry-level and mid-range offerings get 4-beam halogens. All variants will come with foglights.

A new set of taillights dominate the rear section, along with a redesigned tailgate and larger back window. Like the front fascia, the rear bumper also received a more rounded design, departing from the angular design of the pre-facelift model. Rounding everything up are the new 15-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 185/60 series tires.

Inside, the updated Yaris gets a new interior design that veers away from its sedan counterpart, the Vios. New Optitron gauges, as well as a sleeker dashboard give the 2018 Yaris a sportier, more upscale look. All models will come with a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports CD, MP3, AM/FM radio, USB, Aux, Bluetooth and voicelink for iOS and Android smartphones. Also present are the newly designed fabric for the seats.

Available engines in the 2018 Yaris are the carried-over 1.5-liter 2NR-FE and the 1.3-liter 1NR-FE Dual VVT-i four cylinder engines. The former produces 107 PS at 6000 rpm with 141 Nm of torque at 4200 rpm while the latter puts out 98 PS at 6000 rpm with 121 Nm of torque at 4400 rpm. The range-topping 1.5 S is exclusively mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with seven-speed manual mode and paddle shifters. Meanwhile the 1.3 E models can come with either the CVT (no paddle shifters) or a five-speed manual gearbox.

Standard safety features available across the line include anti-lock brakes, vehicle stability control, seven airbags, and ISOFIX rear anchors. Other features available only to the 1.5 S are the following: keyless-entry system with immobilizer, push button start, six-speaker audio system (lower variants get the four-speaker system), power-folding side mirrors, speed-sensing door locks, eco and sport driving modes and LED daytime running lights and taillights.

Pricing of the 2018 Yaris are as follows:

Yaris 1.5 S CVT - Php 1,006,000

Yaris 1.3 E CVT - Php 877,000

Yaris 1.3 M/T - Php 825,000