Toyota PH launches 2024 Yaris Cross B-SUV

After several leaks about its arrival and its specifications, Toyota Motor Philippines' not-so-secret B-segment crossover has officially been revealed. This is the 2024 Yaris Cross, and despite being branded as a Toyota, it's essentially a Daihatsu underneath.

Just like the all-new Wigo, Raize, Avanza, and Veloz, the Yaris Cross for the Philippine market is underpinned by the Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA). That means we can expect its cabin to have a similar look as its stablemates, but more on that later. In addition, we hope Toyota (or Daihatsu for that matter) has worked out the kinks that plagued the first batch of Raize which had welding problems at the front suspension towers.

As for its looks, the Yaris Cross borrows heavily from the Corolla Cross in terms of the overall design. However, the Yaris Cross looks sharper and more dynamic with its aggressive LED headlights, bold front grille, diamond-cut alloy wheels (17-inches for the G variant and 18-inches for the V and S HEV models), sharp LED taillights, and squared wheel arches.

Size-wise, the Yaris Cross measures 4310mm long, 1770mm wide, and 1615mm tall. It also has a 2620mm wheelbase and a minimum ground clearance of 212mm. With it, Toyota now has a proper B-segment crossover offering which the automaker has been missing out on.

Hop inside and the Daihatsu influence can be clearly seen with the familiar dashboard layout first seen in the Raize, Avanza, and Veloz. It gets sleek aircon vents, a free-standing 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a digital instrument panel, rear aircon vents, and neat touches of piano black and faux metal accents.

In-car features available in the 2024 Yaris Cross include automatic climate control, Android Auto & Apple CarPlay connectivity, a power tailgate, a 6-speaker Pioneer sound system (S HEV only), an intelligent voice command, smart keyless entry, a wireless charging pad, and two USB-C charging ports for the rear passengers.

Under the hood, the 2024 Yaris Cross is available with two powertrain options. First is a 1.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain dubbed the 2NR-VEX. The Dual VVT-i engine is assisted by an electric motor with a lithium-ion battery pack. The result is a total system output of 111 PS and 121 Nm of torque at 4800 rpm.

For those who prefer traditional internal combustion, there's also the naturally-aspirated 1.5-liter inline-four 2NR-VE. It also has Dual VVT-i and makes 106 PS at 6000 rpm with 138 Nm torque at 4200 rpm. Both engines are paired to a CVT driving the front wheels.

When it comes to safety features, all variants of the Yaris Cross get anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, vehicle stability control, hill-start assist, front & rear parking sensors, a reverse camera, and a host of airbags.

It also has Toyota Safety Sense but these intelligent driver aids are only reserved for the V and S HEV models of the Yaris Cross. These include a pre-collision system, automatic high beam, lane-tracing assist, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. They also come with blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, and a panoramic camera system.