Does the Toyota Yaris look good with crossover styling?

Toyota Yaris X-Urban is one rugged-looking hatchback

The smallest crossover Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) offers is the Corolla Cross. While we did report that the Yaris Cross was supposedly being ordered by dealers, it seems that didn't happen, or at least it hasn't yet. In fact, the small crossover has yet to debut in the ASEAN region. Over in Thailand, it seems Toyota decided to build their own version by giving the Yaris hatchback a crossover-inspired makeover.

Meet the Yaris X-Urban, and it's based on the refreshed 2022 Yaris, which debuted along with the updated Vios earlier this week. Rather than turning it into a sporty-looking hatchback, the X-Urban instead gives the Yaris a crossover-like design.

The kit is comprised of a front lip with an integrated faux skid plate, side skirts, and a rear bumper extension. These are joined by thick black fender cladding which gives the Yaris a proper crossover look. Rounding up the exterior changes are the gloss-black grille and 16-inch two-tone wheels. If you notice, the X-Urban has more ground clearance over the standard Yaris, and your eyes aren't deceiving you. Toyota fitted new springs and shocks, giving the hatchback an extra 30mm of ground clearance.

Inside, the cabin of the Yaris X-Urban was also updated. There's new two-tone upholstery on the seats and even the steering wheel. Take a closer look, and there are even “X” patterns on the seats. Like the new Vios, the Yaris X-Urban comes with new safety systems such as Pre-Collision System (autonomous emergency braking) and Land Departure Alert (lane departure warning).

The Yaris X-Urban is powered by a 1.2-liter inline-four that produces 92 PS and 109 Nm torque. It's paired with a Super CVT, which sends power to the front wheels. Unfortunately, there is no four-wheel drive available even with the lift.

Since the Yaris Cross isn't available in the Philippines, should TMP offer the Yaris X-Urban locally instead? It might just help the automaker move more units of the Yaris. Would you consider a lifted Yaris hatchback? Let us know what you think in the comments.