2021 Toyota Yaris Cross: pictures, specs and prices

The Yaris Cross, Toyota’s answer to the Nissan Juke, Honda HR-V and Hyundai Kona, is available to order now, including through the company’s new online purchasing service. Prices for the Japanese brand’s hybrid crossover SUV start from £22,515, with a choice of five trim levels, along with all-wheel-drive on the top-spec Dynamic and Premiere Edition versions.

The car sits beneath the existing Toyota C-HR and Toyota RAV4 and is the second model to sit on Toyota’s compact platform, after the Yaris hybrid supermini. All versions of the Yaris Cross are powered by the same small electric motor and 114bhp 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that sits under the bonnet of the Yaris. Toyota claims front-wheel drive models will emit less than 120g/km of CO2m, while the all-wheel drive Dynamic and Premiere Edition will come under the 135g/km mark.

The Yaris Cross comes as standard with the Toyota Safety Sense package and other driver-assistance systems. This will allow the car to recognise hazards, and in certain cases initiate steering and braking to avoid collisions.

You can now configure and buy your Yaris Cross entirely remotely using Toyota’s new online buying service, but for those who still want to visit a dealership, you can reserve a Yaris Cross at one with a refundable deposit. See our list of the best hybrid SUVs here.

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Toyota Yaris Cross pricing, trim levels and specifications

The Icon is the entry-level model, starting at £22,515. This trim gets 16-inch alloy wheels, an eight-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a reversing camera.

Design (£24,140) adds 17-inch alloy wheels, LED head and tail-lights and ambient lighting. Excel (£26,745) builds on that with 18-inch grey alloy wheels, a powered tailgate with kick sensor, a larger nine-inch infotainment screen and heated front seats and steering wheel. In addition to parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are included.

The above models are front-wheel-drive only, but all-wheel drive is available as a £2,360 option on the following higher-spec versions. The Dynamic (above) features styling more similar to that of the Toyota RAV4, thanks to new front and rear bumpers, a rear protection plate and two-tone paint. In front-wheel-drive form, the Dynamic starts at £26,465, while for £28,825, you get Toyota’s optional intelligent all-wheel-drive (AWD-i) system.

The top-of-the-range Premiere Edition starts at £28,185 with front-wheel drive and £30,545 if you spring for the optional all-wheel drive. All Premiere Edition cars come with black leather seats, an eight-speaker JBL sound system and a 10-inch colour head-up display. 

Some optional extras are available, too. The JBL sound system (£450) and a panoramic sunroof (£330) can be added to Excel and Dynamic. Plus, Excel cars are also available with the City Pack (£100), while Dynamic and Premiere Edition cars can be equipped with the Advanced Safety (£650) and City & Advanced Safety packs (£750). 

The City Pack includes sat nav and semi-automated parking, while the Advanced Safety Pack includes rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring as well. However, it's worth noting that if you select the City or City and Advanced Safety packs, the Yaris Cross comes equipped with a smaller eight-inch infotainment system.

There are also styling packages available, including the Adventure Pack (£119), SUV Pack (£639) and Sports Pack (£599).

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Design and dimensions

The regular Yaris Cross has a recognisable front end, albeit with a smaller, more upright grille than the conventional Yaris. Like the supermini, it gets a set of sharp vents ahead of the front wheelarches, as well as distinctive LED daytime running lights. Those arches are much boxier on the SUV, emphasised further by the ride height, which has been raised by 30mm.

Both the Yaris Cross and Yaris Cross Dynamic get darkened tail-lights complemented by full-width black trim featuring the familiar Toyota logo. Those slashes in the front bumper are mirrored at the rear. The number plate sits high on the tailgate – just like it does on the C-HR and RAV4 models.

At 4,180mm long, the Yaris Cross is 240mm longer than the Yaris. The wheelbase is the same, however, meaning internal packaging isn’t likely to be affected. However, with extra length over the front and rear axles, we expect the Yaris Cross to boast a slightly bigger boot.

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Interior and technology

Inside, the cabin looks to prioritise functionality over design flair. The large central touchscreen sits on top of the dashboard, with physical climate-control buttons and switches beneath. The Yaris Cross does feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – an oft-criticised element of Toyota interiors is their factory infotainment system, but this will allow you to bypass it with your own smartphone apps.

It appears as if the dials will be at least partly digital, with what looks like a large central speedometer flanked by a pair of supplementary readouts. Their overall theme inside is quite dark, although blue ambient lighting does a good job of lifting the appearance though that is only available on Design models and up. In addition, the Yaris Cross will feature a wealth of driver-assistance systems, including a suite of Toyota Safety Sense programs which can initiate steering and braking if necessary to avoid collisions.