The Toyota Yaris Cross is hybrid-only as of this month, with the Japanese brand confirming production of petrol versions ends as this year closes.
“Production of Yaris Cross petrol variants for global markets ended this month (December 2023) in response to overwhelming demand for hybrid-electric variants,” a Toyota spokesperson told CarExpert.
“As a result, Toyota Australia stopped taking orders on petrol variants. We have sufficient stock of petrol variants in dealer hands and in transit to meet current orders.”
The Toyota Australia website now only shows the Yaris Cross Hybrid on the local configurator, with the existing variant walk for petrol-electric versions remaining the same.
While there have been no price adjustments to the remaining models in the range, it means the price of entry to Toyota’s smallest crossover in Australia has risen by $2000 – the entry-level GX 2WD Hybrid starts from $30,000 excluding on-road costs.
As before, GX, GXL and Urban variants are available with 2WD or E-Four AWD hybrid drivetrains, while the athletic-looking GR Sport is 2WD-only.
The Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid pairs a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with electric motors and a lithium-ion battery pack. 2WD models feature an electric motor-generator and a single e-motor, while AWD versions boast an additional electric motor on the rear axle.
All versions quote system power output of 85kW, with fuel use quoted at a very thrifty 3.8-4.0L/100km on the combined cycle.
As for details of an updated model expected in 2024, Toyota’s local arm wouldn’t be drawn to comment on what’s in store for the compact SUV, despite Toyota Europe revealing an updated model last month.
Key upgrades for the European model include a more powerful 97kW version of the 1.5-litre hybrid powertrain, larger touchscreens running the latest Toyota software interface, an available 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, NVH improvements, and enhanced active safety systems.
It’s worth noting that European models are sourced from Toyota’s French factory and Australian models are built in Japan, allowing for some discrepancies between regions. However, it’s expected that the bulk of the technology upgrades will be carried over to Japanese production at some point in 2024.
Read more about the 2024 Toyota Yaris Cross for Europe here.
2024 Toyota Yaris Cross pricing:
- Toyota Yaris Cross GX 2WD Hybrid: $30,000
- Toyota Yaris Cross GX AWD Hybrid: $33,000
- Toyota Yaris Cross GXL 2WD Hybrid: $33,000
- Toyota Yaris Cross GXL AWD Hybrid: $36,000
- Toyota Yaris Cross GR Sport 2WD Hybrid: $36,000
- Toyota Yaris Cross Urban 2WD Hybrid: $36,000
- Toyota Yaris Cross Urban AWD Hybrid: $39,000
Prices exclude on-road costs
