2016 Toyota Yaris sedan: Toyota and Mazda team up to deliver a winner

2016 Toyota Yaris Sedan (Chris Chase/Autofocus)

Toyota is a team player. As much experience as the Japanese automaker has in engineering reliable cars on its own, Toyota is nearly as well-known as a willing collaborator with other manufacturers.

In the 1980s, it worked with General Motors, which sold a rebadged-and-rebodied Corolla as the Chevrolet Nova, and later as the Geo Prism. More recently, Toyota and Subaru worked together to co-develop the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ sports cars. Now, Toyota has launched an all-new Yaris subcompact sedan that was engineered by Mazda.

As a result, Toyota's Quebec City launch event was not only our introduction to its latest small sedan, but also, essentially, our first chance to experience the Mazda2, a car whose planned 2015 launch was delayed until 2016.

That means Toyota has beaten Mazda to market with this car, as this Yaris sedan has already begun rolling into Canadian dealerships.

Just as the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ are mechanical twins and cosmetic near-copies, the Yaris sedan is essentially a re-branded Mazda2, with a Toyota-specific grille. The engine is a 1.5-litre four-cylinder generating 106 hp and 103 lb-ft of torque, power ratings that (coincidentally) match those of the Yaris hatchback, and on paper put both cars below average in the subcompact class. The available six-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmissions are more in line with today’s expectations though. That’s in contrast to the Toyota-built Yaris hatch, which gets a five-speed stick, or a four-speed(!) automatic.

That didn’t prove a detriment on a drive route that took us along the secondary highways west of Quebec City, twisty, hilly byways that proved a good showcase for the Yaris’ well-sorted chassis. Granted, we weren’t surprised, given the Mazda engineering behind this little sedan. Acceleration is deliberate with either transmission, but the well-sorted chassis means there’s little need to slow down through curves: tossed into corners, the Yaris seemed quite content to buckle down and trace our chosen line. In easier going, the suspension strikes a great balance between comfort and ride control.

And if the little engine isn’t exactly a powerhouse, it’s at least eager to deliver what power it has. Manual or automatic, the motor sounds good when worked hard, making passing maneuvers much less of a chore than usual for a subcompact.

The manual transmission is one of the best we’ve driven in an economy car in some time (not including the Mazda3, which boasts a similar feel), but we have to give credit to an optional automatic that doesn’t suck all the fun out of the experience. Its gearing is well suited to the engine, and it includes a sport mode that holds gears longer and prompts quicker earlier downshifts.

Next to the FR-S, this is the most entertaining car sold by a Toyota brand, and while we mean no disrespect to the maker of some of the most reliable cars on Canadian roads, this little sedan is a blast compared to the Yaris hatchback, a car of Toyota’s own design.

Being a Mazda design, the Yaris benefits from Mazda’s ‘SkyActiv’ suite of fuel-saving technologies, though, for obvious reasons, there’s no mention of that in Toyota’s press materials, nor on the car itself.

Fuel consumption is rated at 7.6/5.7 L/100 km (city/highway) with the stickshift, and 7.2/5.6 with the automatic, estimates that that best the Yaris hatch’s figures of 7.7/6.3 (manual) and 7.8/6.6 (automatic). Blame that on the hatchback’s less-sophisticated transmissions.

Both of the Yaris sedans we drove (manual and automatic) posted sub-6.0 L/100 km averages on our highway route (at speeds mostly between 80 and 110 km/h), according to the car’s on-board computer.

Like the exterior, the Yaris sedan’s cabin is all Mazda, literally. The only thing that’s different is the Toyota badge on the steering wheel. That means you’ll find the controversial radio display atop the dash, just like in the Mazda3 (among others), and all the rest.

Interior space is, obviously, limited, so you won’t be putting four tall adults in here and expecting happy souls all around. Our admittedly short time in the car revealed all four outboard positions to be comfortable, though; only the narrow front seats suggested that not everyone will feel at home behind the wheel.

The Yaris sednan will also be sold in the U.S., but there it will be branded as the Scion iA. As such, Toyota Canada has opted to keep the U.S. model’s value-added standard feature list. So, instead of starting the line with a stripper model as most subcompacts do, the base Yaris (at $16,995) comes with niceties like air conditioning, cruise control, power windows, keyless entry, 16-inch steel wheels, USB and auxiliary inputs for the four-speaker stereo, and hill start assist. That price includes the six-speed manual transmission; the automatic is a $1,205 add.

Ordering the automatic opens you up to a $2,000 Premium package that adds heated front seats, a six-speaker stereo with seven-inch dash-top display screen, two USB ports, 16-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, and backup camera.

Toyota estimates about 15 percent of buyers will opt for the stickshift, and these drivers will have to make do with cold butts in wintertime: none of the premium package items can be added to the base model.

Here’s where things get interesting. In leaving a true base model out of the mix, the entry-level Yaris sedan is actually a thousand bucks more than Corolla’s starting point, though it’s better-equipped, too. Between its more generous list of features and the sharper driving experience, we’d call the Yaris sedan a better value than the Corolla in its lower trims, even considering the Yaris’ tighter interior and less-potent powertrain.

Toyota Canada Managing Director, Steven Beatty, calls the Yaris sedan a win-win for both companies: Mazda gets to make better use of the Salamanca, Mexico factory where it builds the car, and Toyota gets to take advantage of Mazda’s efficient drivetrains and sweet chassis tuning. Small car shoppers are the real winners here, though: no matter what it’s called, this sedan brings big refinement and personality to the subcompact class.