With the great success of the 1999 models, Toyota decided it was time for a redesign of the Yaris. The refreshed version was released in 2003.
The new design was meant to create a better looking car, while still keeping some of the original Yaris.
The front bumper, along with the radiator grille and the headlights were refreshed to give a sportier look. At the rear, the bumper was restyled.
A new Color Collection was available for the facelift Yari, and it stood out with the metallic paint finish and other features such as front fog lamps, a chrome exhaust pipe, alloy wheels and color-matching door mirrors and bumpers.
The users could choose from Twilight Blue, Carlo Blue, Thunder Grey, Eclipse Black and Crystal Silver only for the 1.0-liter and the 1.3-liter VVT-i gasoline engines.
The engines mentioned above were mated with a 5-speed manual transmission.
The body structure was revised to improve safety, along with the ride quality and the car’s dynamics. The NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) level was reduced and the Yaris felt more like a larger car.
The interior of the Yaris was roomy for such a small car, with both the front and the rear passengers benefiting of great comfort.
With a decent trunk size for a car in its class, the Yaris also had foldable rear seats (with a 60:40 configuration) to extend the load area if necessary.
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