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Toyota Yaris interior, tech and comfort

2020 onwards (change model)
Comfort rating: 3 out of 53.0

Written by Keith Adams Updated: 28 June 2024

  • Solid and chunky build quality
  • Boring colour and trim options
  • Not the last word in style

How’s the quality and layout?

Climb in and you’ll find a cabin that’s both functional and utilitarian. The plastics feel sturdy if not plush, although the use of textures on the door cards make them pleasant to touch. The indicator stalks seem particularly robust, plus, they make a loud and old-school indicator noise.

The dash itself is dark, even if you can choose two silver colour schemes for the seats and door inserts to offset this. Compared with the Renault Clio and Peugeot 208, it feels a bit older and not as special. But the Yaris remains a more colourful place to spend time in compared with a Skoda Fabia, while being miles ahead of the new Suzuki Swift.

Sit in the driver’s seat and the instrument panel consists of two circular, digital screens and a trip computer ahead of you. The trip computer screen isn’t the largest or the brightest even at its highest setting, and there’s no option to view a sat-nav map here.

Annoyingly, the door-mounted switches for the windows and mirrors are positioned in such a way that when you try to adjust your door mirrors, the palm of your hand can rest on the window switches, causing you to open them by mistake. Thankfully, the door mirrors are large and put a Vauxhall Corsa to shame.

For 2024, Toyota has updated its GR Sport trim cars with new, larger display screens and additional sporty touches around the cabin, while the new Premiere edition spec cars include blue stitching around the cabin to match the exclusive bi-tone Neptune Blue paint work.

Infotainment and tech

Good news; every Yaris comes with Apple CarPlay/Android auto, DAB radio and USB sockets.

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Toyota Yaris interior
Infotainment is outdated but the controls for the heating and cooling are easy to use.

The infotainment screen size is dependent on which model you choose. They range from 7.0 inches to 10.5 inches, but all work in the same way. Broadly, the software is a bit old-school and looks like it belongs on a five-year old car.

The in-built sat-nav looks ancient but is easy enough to follow. But we think most Yaris owners will choose to use Apple or Android instead.

Comfort

  • Firm front seats
  • Room for six-footers in the rear
  • Easy to see out of

The seats are firm with good side support, but the seat base might be a little short for taller drivers. Despite sitting lower than the previous model, you still have a good view over the dashboard. The windscreen pillars have also been moved back, closer towards the occupants in a bid to reduce blind spots.

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Toyota Yaris 2020 front seats
Seats are quite firm, but have enough adjustment to get comfortable.