Toyota shows 2012 Yaris in Japan

Toyota's newbie has grown 100mm in length and now measures 3,885mm long, but is 30mm lower while having the same width as previous Yaris generation. The Japanese automaker says numerous weight saving measures has trim off 30kg, with the car having at scales 1,000kg (depending on the model).

The exterior design of the new Yaris is more vivid and sharp, borrowing numerous designer hints from the Prius as well as the recently introduced Verso-S, with Toyota claiming a coefficient drag value of 0.285. The Yaris will also be accessible with a variety of styling kits and alloy wheel designs, all developed in-house by Toyota.

The subcompact model's interior has been refreshed from the ground up and is said to feature higher quality materials and more personalization options in terms of colours, trim and upholstery.

In Japan, the Yaris will be offered with three petrol engines with a displacement of 1.0-liters, 1.3-liters and 1.5-liters, the latter powering the sportier RS model.

The 1.3-liter unit can be combined with four-wheel drive as well as with a start-stop system, in which case, fuel consumption drops to 3.8lt/100km.

The European range will also include a diesel model while Toyota is also planning to introduce a hybrid version of the Yaris within the next couple of years.