Toyota Yaris Cross - Interior, design and technology

The Toyota Yaris Cross sits on the same TNGA-B platform as the latest Yaris supermini, but being a small SUV it rides higher, has greater ground clearance, and a more rugged look. The black plastic cladding around the wheel arches adds a little extra flavour to its chunky, cross-country credentials, while stylish aluminium roof rails are standard on all but the entry Icon model. You can also specify a black roof in combination with certain body colours to add a little extra personalisation.

The cabin of the Yaris Cross is best described as functional. It isn’t particularly exciting, and some of the plastics can be a little hard and scratchy, but it does generally feel well built and uses physical climate controls and simple switchgear. 

As part of the updates for 2024, entry-level models now feature a nine-inch touchscreen, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The rest of the range comes with an even larger 10.5-inch display, running Toyota’s latest ‘Smart Connect’ infotainment system – we’ll talk more about that in the section below.

Behind the steering wheel, Icon and Design trim cars get a seven-inch digital instrument panel, while higher grades benefit from a 12.3-inch display with various layouts and themes available. They’re a definite improvement, particularly in terms of clarity, over the analogue dials the Yaris Cross used to have.

If you’re after luxuries such as heated front seats and steering wheel, head-up display, JBL sound system, you’ll need to look towards the Excel, GR Sport or Premiere Edition trim levels. That’s not to say the Icon and Design specifications are poorly equipped; each includes alloy wheels, keyless entry, adaptive cruise control, and a reversing camera. 

As the name suggests, the GR Sport version gives the Yaris Cross a slightly more athletic look, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s any faster or could be Toyota's answer to the Ford Puma ST – it’s mainly just a few styling changes and some suspension tweaks. 

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Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

Base models have a nine-inch touchscreen with the Toyota Touch 2 infotainment system, which is relatively simple to navigate, and features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. This setup also has some shortcut buttons around the screen, which are handy while driving. 

Go for Design trim and above, and the Yaris Cross features a 10.5-inch touchscreen, running Toyota’s latest ‘Smart Connect’ user interface system – the same one found in the Toyota bZ4X and Toyota C-HR. Compared to the other system, it’s sharper, quicker to respond and the menus are easier to navigate, though we still didn’t find it to be quite as intuitive or snappy as the Google-powered tech in the refreshed Renault Captur.