• One engine: 1.5-litre, hybrid petrol
• Optional all-wheel drive with additional electric motor
• A good blend of performance and economy

Hybrid engine

The Yaris Cross comes in only one guise, pairing a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor. The total power output of the two is 116hp, which compares well with its rivals. Even with optional all-wheel drive, the power output remains the same as the rear motor provides about 6hp; what matters is the torque it adds, which is enough to get the little Yaris out of sticky situations.

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Maximum speed is 105mph and the 0-62mph time is 11.2 seconds (11.8 for the four-wheel drive version). Although those performance figures don’t promise an exciting drive, it feels quick off the mark and smooth in general driving when underway, with the three-cylinder engine humming away quietly in the background.

The power from low speeds means it’s best suited to town work, although it’s quiet and refined on the motorway, too.

What’s it like to drive?

• Safe, predictable small SUV handling
• Has character, too – good feedback and steering
• Good in town and on country roads

Normally you wouldn’t buy a Yaris-based small SUV expecting to really enjoy driving it, but Toyota’s rediscovered the art of making cars not only predictable and safe, but fun too. The Yaris Cross doesn’t quite achieve GR Yaris levels of hot-hatch silliness, but it’s good enough that you wonder what it would be like with more power.

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Of course, what matters is how it behaves normally. There’s enough compliance to be comfortable in normal use without feeling harsh, yet firm enough to feel the car’s placement and path in corners and steering that has surprisingly little softness.

The steering is light in town, but you can feel a bit of the road at speed, rather than it being completely remote. That combination means the Yaris Cross is easy to drive with confidence.

It isn’t a particularly soft-riding car, but it has a well-balanced setup that allows the suspension to feel firm in faster bends and secure on country roads, without jarring.

On the all-wheel drive models there is a more complex rear suspension setup, but even the simple, space efficient layout of the front-wheel drive model avoids the crashing thumps you get from cars with similar designs.