SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

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Feeling it: 2017 Toyota Yaris Pulse Plus with CVT

Pleasant surprises

Pics by Toyota@Motorpics

Posted: 26 October 2017

The numbers
Price: R249 600
Engine: Toyota 2NR-FKE, 1496 cc, DOHC, 16-valve, four-cylinder
Power: 82 kW at 6000 rpm
Torque: 136 Nm at 4400 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 11.2 seconds
Maximum speed: 175 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 6.5 l/100 km
Tank: 42 litres
Boot: 286 – 768 litres
Turning circle: 9.6 metres
Warranty: 3 years / 100 000 km
Service plan: 3 years / 45 000 km at 15 000 km intervals.

In case you missed the memo, there have been changes to Toyota SA’s Yaris range. Apart from a facelift there was a name change, an engine swap and a new trim level.

The facelift: New headlight units, new grilles and simplified treatment of the area around the emblem. Lower door mouldings changed, there’s a new tailgate featuring redesigned light clusters and bumpers and there have been changes to interior upholstery and trims. The air vents are different too.

Colour choices include three monotones in Glacier White, Satin Silver metallic and Cosmic Blue. Bi-tones, all with black roofs, include Pearl White, Grey and Cinnabar Red. That’s a slightly speckly shade of pale ruby - rather like an impetuous young Pinot Noir.

The name change: They’re all now called Yaris Pulse.

The engines: The one-litre triple fitted to the base model continues unchanged. So does the Atkinson Cycle 1.5, coupled with electric motor, driving the hybrid. The venerable 1329 cc inline four was retired and its place taken by a new 1500. This is not the simplified unit doing duty in Etios. Pulse’s engine features VVT and a demon tweak called –iE. That means Intelligent Electric and allows the phase shifting of the intake camshaft to be controlled electrically whereas that on the exhaust side is hydraulic. Still naturally aspirated, it puts out 82 kilowatts and 136 Newton-metres, making it a bit quicker than the 1300 but with similar top speed.

Trim levels: 1.0 Pulse with five-speed manual, the hybrid with CVT, two 1.5 Pulses with six-ratio manual or (nominally seven-gear) CVT and a new model named Pulse Plus. Available only with the CVT box it features three more airbags, bringing the total to seven; acoustic glass (double glazing that reduces noise); projector headlamps (still halogen) that reduce light scatter to concentrate on what’s directly ahead; a smarter grille and cruise control.

Even lowly versions come with vehicle stability control, front and rear fog lamps, manual air conditioning, 15” alloy wheels, one-touch powered windows, electrified mirrors, remote central locking, ABS with BA and EBD, hill start assist, kid locks and ISOFix, six-speaker touchscreen audio with Bluetooth and USB, follow-me lighting and steering wheel buttons.

Like most journalists we approach each new CVT-equipped car cautiously. In the beginning they were, almost without exception, cheap disappointments backed up by indignant PR. For example, when writers pointed out shortcomings they were told they didn’t know how to drive them.  To be fair, it has been found since then that CVTs generally work better with torquey, turbocharged engines.

But we remained open-minded and were pleasantly surprised. Although a senior spokesman declined to commit, this car appears to have the Aisin Model K411 transaxle developed for front-wheel drive cars up to 1.5 litres. It’s a belt-type unit using something called flex-start control.

Here’s an explanatory extract from a Toyota Europe Newsroom article: “When pulling away from standstill it lowers the vehicle speed, at which torque converter lock-up occurs, from 15- to 10 km/h. This minimises torque waste and produces optimum acceleration from lower engine revs for improved fuel economy.
 
“The CVT's Speed Ratio Control incorporates systems to improve fuel efficiency and enhance the driving experience. Incline shift controllers use information from various sensors to determine whether the Yaris is travelling up- or downhill.

“When travelling uphill, ratio changes are minimised to achieve smooth operation. If the brake pedal is used when travelling downhill, gearing changes automatically to provide appropriate engine braking.

“Engaging S Sport mode brings a closer alignment of engine and vehicle speeds, providing a more linear feel to acceleration, like a conventional manual transmission. It also enhances acceleration to provide a more dynamic driving experience.”

In plain English that means the rev counter fluctuates with each change in virtual gearing, the box “kicks down” like a regular automatic whenever the right foot demands action, it doesn’t scream or flare, it’s always in an appropriate “gear” and it’s actually pretty good. We rate it equal to decent torque-converter auto-boxes in any other non-turbo car.

A further surprise was that, despite the car’s outer dimensions being almost exactly as they were in 2015 (review here) back seat passenger space has increased from “for medium to short only” to enough for fully grown people. There must have been some fettling of spaces in the meantime. Further good news is that the spare has grown from spacesaver to full size even though the boot’s rated capacity stays the same. We will accept that statement with due caution of course.

Apart from that the new Pulse runs energetically and maintains speed up long hills, storage for small items is much as it was before although a slot has been added to the right side of the upper dash for a medium sized phone, controls are simple, it isn’t overloaded with gadgets and it feels solid. Fit and finish looks good although we aren’t too thrilled by the number of inserts within inserts that make up the door panels and dash. Let’s look at a used one in ten years’ time.

We were impressed by the 1300 manual version we drove in 2015 and its price back then of a touch under 200-kay. After two years of rampant inflation, a bigger engine, more safety kit and automatic transmission, the new one goes for R250 000 – that’s pretty good homework.

Test unit from Toyota SA press fleet

Manual version shown

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments or questions?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.