Toyota Australia has quietly updated the 2021 Toyota Yaris, removing the entry-level manual variant and adding equipment that now sees the city car’s starting point climb $1610 to $23,740 plus on-road costs.
The remaining variants, all of which are fitted with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), are now $100-$110 more expensive, with Toyota pointing to the addition of new safety tech and rear grab handles.
The new-generation Toyota Yaris introduced last year heralded a major shift upmarket for the light hatchback, which rose $6740 at the entry level – to $22,130 plus ORCs – compared to its predecessor.
That range-opening Ascent Sport six-speed manual is, however, no longer available, leaving the CVT as the only transmission on the 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine. The hybrid version was already CVT only.
A Toyota spokesperson told carsales that the manual was dropped due to a low uptake of “less than four per cent” from total Yaris sales, which over the first half of this year totalled 3136 units.
The spokesperson added: “The minor price changes on Yaris hatch are due to updates to vehicle specifications, which includes an upgrade to active cruise control to now work at all speeds, the addition of rear grab handles and the addition of Emergency Steering Assist to the Toyota Safety Sense package.”
No changes have been made to the Toyota Yaris Cross or the high-performance rally-bred Toyota GR Yaris, which is currently on stop-sale due to global stock shortages.
Other safety gear fitted standard across the Yaris range includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian (day and night) and cyclist (daylight only) detection, traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning with lane assist and a reversing camera.
The mid-spec SX grade adds LED headlights and tail-lights, while the top-spec ZR brings a head-up display, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert.
How much does the 2021 Toyota Yaris cost?
Ascent Sport petrol auto – $23,740 (+$110)
SX petrol auto – $27,130 (+$110)
SX hybrid auto – $29,130 (+$110)
ZR petrol auto – $30,200 (+$100)
ZR hybrid auto – $32,200 (+$100)
*Prices exclude on-road costs