The Toyota Yaris now has a new flagship, the Yaris TS. Toyota says while the flagship car is not a hot hatch, it nevertheless showcases impressive performance characteristics, especially when it comes to handling. My opportunity to test these abilities arrived just as Bainskloof Pass appeared down in the Cape where the media launch took place.
In case you don’t know, Bainskloof is one of the tightest passes around; narrow as a hosepipe, not very well-looked after as a road but great scenery and safety barrier walls. They say it has 260 turns. It is the perfect road for a small spikey performer like the Yaris TS whose suspension has been tweaked to rival the best in the business.
Powered by a 1.8-litre naturally aspirated engine, the TS produces 98kW and 173Nm of torque. While these figures are dwarfed by competitors such as Polo GTI and Clio RS, Toyota was at pains to explain the TS is not a hot hatch per se, but a range-topping Yaris that provides fans of the car more power than they’ve had before. That it looks sporty is an added bonus.
Mated to the Yaris TS is a 6-speed manual gearbox that allows the car to sprint from 0 – 100km/h in just over 9 seconds, with a top speed of close on 200km/h. This is a swift little Yaris.
A sweet package for Yaris TS buyers is the inclusion of such comforts as Bluetooth connectivity, aircon, power steering, 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, front fog lamps and seven airbags for piece of mind.
The new Toyota Yaris TS is available only in 3-door type and in only two colours, red and black. It sells for R198 900.
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