“I know, let’s make it a bit cheaper and throw in a free sticker,” the Toyota branding chief might have thought as he scratched around in his Zen garden one morning. “And let’s give it a hip and funky name to make it seem a bit cooler.”
“I know, let’s make it a bit cheaper and throw in a free sticker,” the Toyota branding chief might have thought as he scratched around in his Zen garden one morning. “And let’s give it a hip and funky name to make it seem a bit cooler.”
The newly launched Yaris Zen is Toyota's attempt to inject a shot of energy into their Yaris range, but there’s not an awful lot that’s changed. You get a decal of your choice on each side, but the Zen isn't bigger, isn't faster and hasn't got any new toys. But it's still a respectably solid set of wheels that won't give you too many hassles… or thrills.
The range has been chopped from 14 to 10 models (six hatchbacks and four sedans), starting with the 1.0-litre Zen1 hatch for R126 300 and topping out with the 1.3-litre Zen3 Plus AT sedan for R172 700.
The new Zens arrived at Settler City Toyota in Beaufort Street last week, so we went around and took one for a spin (the Zen3 AC). Personally, whenever I need a rental car I like to opt for a Yaris as they seem to be more 'together' compared to similar offerings. So stepping into the Yaris Zen I had a good idea of what to expect, especially as there's so little that's changed.
Performance from this 1.3-litre puppy induces yawns rather than grins, and to get anywhere in a hurry you really have to work the gears. I shudder to think what kind of a slouch the 1.0-litre must be. That said, once you've got it up to 120km/h, it sits very comfortably and confidently on the open road with the revs at a not-too-bad 3500 rpm.
It offers respectable levels of engine and road noise, which is all we could listen to as this model doesn't come with a sound system – you'll have to fork out R138 000 for the Zen3 ACS to get that.
What the Yaris Zen lacks in performance it makes up for in safety, which is what buyers at this level usually look for anyway. It's reassuring to know that you get all kinds of 'help!' features throughout the range, including ABS, EBD and airbags. And you'd better put on your seatbelt quite promptly when you get in because you'll get beeped at rather rudely if you don't, with increasing urgency the longer you delay.
It's worth pointing out that all Yaris Zen models are sold with a 4-year / 60 000km service plan and 3-year / 100 000km warranty as standard.
The Yaris Zen is definitely a decent offering, but Toyota is going to have to do more than slap a sticker on the side of their cars to keep the likes of Kia and Hyundai from yapping too aggressively at their heels.
Prices:
Yaris Zen hatchback
Zen1 – R126 300
Zen3 AC – R135 900
Zen3 ACS – R138 000
Zen3 Plus – R150 100
Zen3 Plus AT – R162 600
Yaris Zen sedan
Zen3 – R137 000
Zen3 AC – R148 300
Zen3 Plus – R158 900
Zen3 Plus AT – R172 700
Zen3 Spirit – R168 500
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