Toyota Yaris Hybrid fuel economy sets new standards for What Car?

The new Toyota Yaris Hybrid fuel economy has received emphatic praise, claiming the What Car? True MPG Award with the best figures ever recorded in the magazine’s rigorous fuel consumption test.

It’s another independent validation of the leap in performance delivered by the fourth generation of Toyota’s self-charging hybrid electric system that powers the all-new hatchback, launched in 2020.

Read more Design features of the all-new Yaris

The technology significantly increases the time and distance the car can be driven in pure electric EV mode, with zero emissions and zero fuel consumption.

2020 Yaris Hybrid

Commenting on Yaris Hybrid’s performance, What Car? Editor Steve Huntingford said: “Our True MPG test proves that the new Yaris Hybrid has a remarkable ability to sip fuel gently. In town, it achieved 80mpg – almost double the economy of conventionally powered small hatchbacks. And overall it’s the most efficient car we’ve ever tested, managing 59.3mpg.”

Yaris Hybrid fuel economy explained

Let’s highlight some of key components which contribute to the Yaris Hybrid fuel economy performance.

The car is equipped with a 1.5-litre hybrid engine from the same TNGA engine family as the 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit featured in the Toyota Corolla and Toyota C-HR. The new engine has a maximum output of 90bhp/68kW with a peak 120Nm of torque delivered at lower revs (3,600rpm).

2020 hybrid

The transmission is a e-CVT automatic – an electric continuously variable transmission – which provides linear acceleration feel and quiet operation.

Read more Yaris Hybrid powertrain

The hybrid system in the new Yaris has two motor/generators – MG1 and MG2. MG2 is linked to the front wheels and can be used as the power source to drive the vehicle. The motor rpm at which power can be directed to the wheels determines the maximum speed at which the car can be driven in EV (electric vehicle) mode, making MG2 critical to the car’s drivability on electric power. MG1 is deployed to start the engine and to generate power to charge both batteries (hybrid and 12V).

The new Yaris adopts a lithium-ion hybrid battery, with voltage rising from 144 to 177.6V. The number of cells has been reduced, from 120 to 48. The current flow is significantly improved: by 100 per cent into the battery and 50 per cent out of it.

With a significantly higher power density, the battery is both smaller and lighter, by 12kg. Its compact dimensions allow it to be located beneath the rear passenger seat, together with the auxiliary battery, avoiding intrusion in the load space.

Lithium-ion battery technology is better able to supply current flow, which is key to the new Yaris having powerful EV performance in urban driving.

The all-new hybrid transaxle is more compact and lightweight, with the two motor generators placed on multiple shafts instead of being placed one behind the other, reducing the unit’s width by around 37mm. Motor/Generator 2 benefits from new segment-type coils on the stator, which makes the unit more compact.

Read more Safety and equipment features of new Yaris

It can deliver 59kW of power and 141Nm of torque to the front wheels at a maximum 17,000rpm. The key benefit is a major improvement in performance, so that the engine can be turned off and the vehicle run in all-electric EV mode at speeds up to 80mph/130km/h.

The transaxle also has a new oil pump, driven by the ring gear, which provides lubrication for both the gears and motor/generator 2.

The Power Control Unit has the capacity to handle 100A of current, boosting the 177V from the battery to 580V and using transistor control in the inverter to change the current from direct to alternating. The transistors’ efficiency is affected by heat control inside the unit; by arranging them vertically, they can be cooled on both sides, allowing for more accurate heat control and thereby a higher frequency of current switching – up to 10,000 times a second.

This makes a significant contribution to the system’s efficiency and transfer of power to the motor. The converter in the power control unit converts the 177V from the hybrid battery to 12V to power the car’s auxiliary components.

The power split device is the heart of the hybrid system, governing the interaction between the components. It enables the car to operate as a parallel hybrid with the motor/generator 2 powering the car alone, or in combination with the hybrid petrol engine.

For more information on the Toyota Yaris Hybrid, click here.

32 comments

  1. I was getting over 80 miles to the gallon during the summer in a brand new Yaris. This has now dropped to about 60 mpg. A 25 percent drop. Have not used the air con. Is this normal?

    1. Hi Donald,
      All cars use more fuel in the colder months. Colder weather means the engine takes longer to get up to its ideal operating temperature.
      This delay means there is more friction in your engine and transmission whilst the oil gets up to temperature.
      The colder/darker weather also taxes electrical systems more, like heater, headlights, and windscreen wipers for example.
      Thanks.

    2. Mine is similar but not that bad, if I have the heating on full blast the economy certainly suffers, what I try is to get it heated quickly inside then turn it all down to approx 20 degrees, works for me

  2. In this winter, there is a clear drop of the fuel efficiency 20% to 30 % on the Toyota Yaris hybrid 4 years old 23000 miles although air con is not used only heating.

  3. I have yaris 2020 petrol which currently drive 297 miles when I fully fuelled the car (based on the trip information screen).
    How many miles extra I expect from the 2022 Yaris Hybrid?

    1. Hi Mohamed,
      Thanks for your comment.
      Due to the long list of factors that affect fuel economy, we are not able to provide this information.
      We would recommend booking in a test drive for the new Yaris at your nearest Toyota Centre.
      Thanks.

    1. Hi Peter,
      Thanks for your comment.
      For this question, we will use the Icon Grade Yaris.
      The Model Year 2019 Yaris Icon has a combined MPG of approximately 58mpg.
      Unfortunately, we do not have fuel consumption figures for the Model Year 2022 Yaris just yet, so we will use the MY21.5 Yaris Icon instead.
      The MY21.5 Yaris Icon has a combined MPG of approximately 68mpg.
      We hope this helps.
      Thanks.

    2. I’ve had a 2018 hybrid version and now have the 2022 version, its night and day mpg figures, the 2018 used to average 56mpg my 2022 gets average 64mpg rising to 67+ in the summer, it’s a great car with improved performance and not a bad soundtrack from the 3 pot engine

  4. Quick question please;
    How many miles can you do in the Yaris when in the ev mode at a speed of 80mph?

    1. It doesn’t work like that, if you’re cruising at 80mph and you come to a slight downhill section, you can release the throttle then apply minimal input to the gas pedal, the car will go into ev mode keeping you at 80mph, but anything other than downhill the engine cuts back in

  5. Hi new to Hybrids,on picking up 71 plate Yaris second hand from a Ford dealer they had to jump start as the battery was flat . I had a 60 mile drive home so thought this would charge the battery fully . The car had little use for the next week so that weekend I had to call out the AA due to flat battery again .I went onto a Yaris car forum and it appears it is a common fault . The garage suggested I got a solar charger fitted ? This is going to cost me £135 Is this going to stop the flat battery happening again ?? and why aren’t they fitted as standard ?

    1. Hi Ian,

      Congratulations on your new car. It may be that the 12v battery is damaged, and not able to hold as much charge as before. During lockdowns, owners of all types of vehicles got flat batteries from being sat unused for so long. Many of those batteries were damaged permanently, and not able to function properly, even after being recharged. We recommend getting the battery inspected at a Toyota centre, but it is likely that you’ll need a replacement. You can find your nearest Toyota centre here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/help-centre#/publish/my_toyota_my_dealers

      Thanks

  6. I just did a trip from Liverpool and back in my Hybrid Yaris 2019 model. 400 miles, on maximum 3/5 of the tank. Very impressive

    1. Hi Keith, thanks for sharing with us.

      Sounds like your Yaris Hybrid is proving to be a good match for you. We hope you enjoyed your trip to Liverpool.

      Thanks,

      Toyota UK

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

To be the first to hear about all of our latest news, offers and events, check the box below, we’ll send these communications by email, phone, SMS or post. Be assured that Toyota will only share your personal information with companies that are an integral part of fulfilling the services we deliver. If you would like to find out more about how we process your data please visit our privacy policy for details.

I understand that I can unsubscribe at any time.