2012 Toyota Yaris has earned top five-star rating for all-round safety performance by passing through Euro NCAP independent crash testing. The small city car meets all high standards for the 2011 test programme and its were good enough to comply with the higher five-star threshold that will be introduced in 2012.
2012 Yaris comes with seven airbags as standard, including a driver’s knee airbag. The driver and front passenger side airbags have a new two-chamber design that improves protection with larger cushions – eight litres for the thorax/abdomen area and 4.5 litres for the pelvis.
There are also numerous features designed to reduce the risk of injuries to pedestrians. The front bumper contains energy absorbing materials that reduce the impact energy directed at a pedestrian’s legs, and a pantograph bonnet structure also absorbs energy to protect the head and body in a collision. There is a crushable cowl louvre at the rear edge of the bonnet, and the front wings have an impact absorbing brackets.
The small car also benefits from a comprehensive package of active safety systems, including ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Corner Stability Control, Brake Assist, Traction Control and Vehicle Stability Control.
2012 Toyota Yaris is available with 1.0 and 1.33-litre petrol units and a 1.4-litre D-4D turbodiesel. It also can be opted with Multidrive S, Toyota’s latest continuously variable transmission (CVT), features a manual override, sequential seven-step mode that the driver can operate using either the gearshift lever or paddle shifts on the steering wheel.
The pricing starts at just £11 170.
Source: Toyota
Toyota has made some seasonal nips and tucks to its Yaris range to make it an even more appealing prospect for customers. New to the line-up is a revised TR feature grade, which now comes with smart 15-inch eight-spoke alloys as standard, just like the range-topping T Spirit models. 
Toyota Australia’s best-selling car is now safer, with Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control (TRC) available across the range. From today VSC and TRC are standard on Corolla Conquest hatch and sedan, Levin ZR hatch and Ultima sedan.