First drive: 2014 Toyota Yaris Sedan in the UAE

First drive: 2014 Toyota Yaris Sedan in the UAE

2014 Toyota Yaris Sedan 1
Al Futtaim Motors didn’t hold back at this year’s event when launching the all-new 2014 Toyota Yaris sedan in the UAE. It is, after all, one of their best sellers. With the new Yaris, Toyota are probably going to maintain their lion’s share of the sub-compact market once again, thanks to the new looks and cheaper entry-level model.

Talking about the looks, Toyota have used their new trademark front fascia design which we have already seen on the latest Avalon and Camry models, and will definitely see on the upcoming new Toyota Corolla in the near future.

2014 Toyota Yaris Sedan

It is a decent design and we are not alone in our assessment either, judging by the fact it received nearly 400 ‘likes’ in just an hour when we posted a photo of the Yaris Sedan on our Facebook page, with mostly positive comments. There is also a Yaris Sport model which features a bodykit and rear spoiler to further spruce up the looks.

Inside, they have certainly improved. There is increased legroom at the back, with all-round good headroom. Feature-wise, the top SE+ version we drove had a push-start button, an automatic A/C that cleverly uses one dial to control fan speed and temperature, painted piano-black trim around the centre console, steering wheel controls, 6-speaker audio entertainment system and metallic plating on the doors. There’s also fake “stitching” moulded on the dashboard and doors, which is cheesy since there’s no soft-touch materials or padding at all anywhere aside from the seats.

2014 Toyota Yaris Sedan Interior

However, speaking of comfort, the new Yaris boasts a smoother ride thanks to improvements to the front suspension setup. Toyota also claims to have reduced noise levels by using better sound-insulation. Wind noise creeps up as you keep going faster, becoming prominent only at speeds above 100 kph.

The Dunlop tyres certainly do a good job keeping road noise low, but there is no escaping the engine noise during hard acceleration, with the 4-speed automatic transmission not helping matters. The 107 hp 1.5-litre 4-cylinder engine does quiet down considerably at cruising speeds, giving off a slight hum.

2014 Toyota Yaris Sedan 3

What Toyota did with the new Yaris Sedan is basically make most features slightly better than the old one, but without increasing the price. That’s no surprise, considering it’s now imported from Thailand. Go down to the carryover 1.3-litre engine option, and the entry-level price is even lower than the previous generation. That’s enough reason to see a flood of them on the roads real soon.

For detailed prices and features, check out the Toyota Yaris Sedan buyer guide.

What do you think?

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Comments

  1. Stunned!!! what happened to the greedy dealer the prices are amazing I hope and only hope they carry the same pricing in other top models also….

  2. nice car….side profile looks like that of a saffrane…but i like it

  3. Engine power should 1.8then it’s ok

  4. loose road grip, weak engine performance and narrow view on back view mirror…dont like it

  5. Seems some sense has finally prevailed at the UAE dealership with regards to the pricing. Or has the management changed? 😉 Though yet to see it in person, the new yaris seems to be provide a very good value for money from the pictures and details mentioned in the report. Dunno why but the front-end styling makes me feel it as a successor/big brother to the Indian Toyota Etios than yaris.

  6. At least it got projector lamps, give a whole new look to the car. But still its Yaris power wise, but good change!

  7. Looks more like a Corolla

  8. Wow….Some one said that……..seems Corolla…and looks so powerful as well

  9. In one word..meh…

  10. Turbo charge this baby and then take my money

  11. Interior looks hyundaish

  12. Not bad for its class

  13. Looks better than the city…..I like this car….Kept a rental for a while….. the old one…. Liked the steering….very sharp….

  14. Just booked the SE+ 1.5 top end variant yesterday. I liked the looks, design, practicality and the host of features offered within the price range. From a looks standpoint, its a close call between Yaris 2014 sedan and honda city, but from a reliability and re-sale standpoint, its a hands down winner.

  15. i hope to buy it

  16. Price Plz … ?

  17. Awesome car in economical price and economical engine and it’s toyota which realibility and spare parts are cheap and it’s a simple car I had Tour in Alfuttaim dealership I was surprised how excellent this car was it’s looks almost like an corolla and it’s comfortable as well I checked the Se 1.3 and I have plan to buy it soon next year inshallah and also prefer others to look at both Yaris and Corolla in my opinion they both are awesome cars in economical price range

    I hope you Guys liked my comment

    And special thanks to Mash for the nice review for both Corolla and Yaris !!! Thumbs up

    And thanks you
    Regards
    Juma Albalooshi

  18. pls advise the fuel economy of YaRIS SEDAN 2014

  19. I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR YARIS 1.5 E SEDEN.. THE CAR LOOKS SO NICE AND COMFORTABLE, FROM INSIDE THE SEATS SO AMAZING THE DESIGN SO BEAUTIFUL I LIKE IT TOO MUCH, BUT PERFORMANCE SO POOR, I DONT LIKE IT WITH DRIVING .. I DONT FEEL SAFE SPECIALLY WITH THE SPEED ABOVE THAN 110 KM PER HR .,THE PROBLEM IS ,,, THE CAR LIGHT WEIGHT. AND I DONT LIKE THE NARROW LOOKS FROM BACK… AND IF YOU NOTICED ALL THE NEW YARIS 2014 SEDEN …IF YOU SEARCH IN GOOGLE ABOUT PICTURES AND EVEN IN TOYOTA WEBSITE YOU WILL NOT FIND PICTURE FOR THE CAR FROM BACK SIDE …
    🙂

    • Hi Muhannad,

      It is better than the other cars that it competes with in the market. Only if it came with at least 5 speed automatic, Toyota would have nailed it. I have been using a 1.3L for a while and the stability and handling of it is best in class. You have made a good choice!

  20. Hello,
    i am from KSA,I am planning to buy a small sedan,
    my budget is around 50,000.00 AED/SAR
    can u please tell me which is the best sedan under this price.
    i am planning between toyta yaris/hyundai accent/Nissan Sunny.
    Please advice.

  21. Aoa
    Im from ksa.im plaining to buy a small sedan. My budget is around 50/55000 sar.
    Whch1 is better honda city and yaris.
    I dnt knw the resale value of honda n toyota in ksa.

    Plz suguest

  22. Hi,
    Saw the 2016 Yaris on the web. It’s based on Mazda. Same like what they have done with the 86. Only the front has changed from Mazda. The side, back and interior is exactly the same with Mazda.

  23. I want to the price of this car

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