• Rugged mini-SUV with robust materials
• Very well made, but quite uninspiring
• Occasionally crude plastic bits

How is the quality and layout?

Unlike the exterior, the inside feels very Yaris-like, which is a little harder to come to terms with given the extra cash you’re forking out and the more style-conscious attitude of the typical SUV buyer.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the Yaris Cross interior’s shape, functionality or quality, but there’s just an awful lot of black and dark grey plastic. Even the steering wheel lacks the soft, ‘natural’ leather feel of more upmarket cars in this class – and that’s where it’s priced.

That’s the only real problem though. It’s functional, comfortable and all the controls are logical, even in the dark where real buttons & dials instead of touchscreens ensures that ‘instinctive’ memory can build up, letting you focus on the road.

Infotainment and tech

The dashboard is dominated by a high-set central infotainment screen above digital climate controls (with physical temperature control knobs – yes!). Toyota’s screens include support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while sat-nav is standard with the 9.0-inch HD Smart Connect system.

Go for the 8.0-inch system in the lower-specification models and you can upgrade it to include navigation as part of the City pack or City and Advanced Safety pack, which also gains the car surround-view cameras, parking assistance and blind-spot monitoring. Design trim can also be upgraded to the 9.0-inch HD Smart Connect as part of the Tech park.

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The system in general is quite slow. Sound quality is acceptable with the standard six-speaker audio, and overall the system is adequate for the car – but it lacks any wow factor, which rivals are beginning to include.

Other technology found in the Yaris Cross is implemented well – such as the adaptive cruise control, which uses an intuitive stalk control for speed and a steering wheel button for following distance.

Comfort

• Seats are supportive
• But quite basic and firm
• Quiet engine

Fundamentally the Yaris Cross is a small and not particularly sporty supermini that’s been lifted up, stretched and if you go for a lower-spec car, rides on tyres that are suitably cushioned with loads of sidewall.

This ultimately leads to a quiet and subdued experience. The hybrid engine is very hushed unless pushed hard, while there’s quite a lot of wind and road noise to contend with.

The seats are on the firm side, with good side support and the driving position is higher than a regular supermini, but not as high as a larger SUV such as the Volkswagen T-Roc.