Already praised for its low fuel consumption and great abilities around town, Toyota introduced the facelifted Yaris in 2008.
Besides the 3-door hatchback and the 4-door sedan, Toyota offered the refreshed 5-door liftback Yaris.
The 5-door Yaris came with a practical rear hatch, as well as versatile seat arrangement.
Regardless of the body style, the updates were especially focused on fuel economy and CO2 emissions, which had to fit into the Euro5 emission standards that were mandatory from January 2009.
Aesthetically, the main styling modifications concerned the refreshed headlights and taillights. The Yaris was now available with a choice of 12 exterior colors, with the new ash grey option.
Inside, besides mild retouches, the digital readings were replaced by analog dials with the redesigned instrument panel. It also improved the infotainment system. A new upholstery design “Ash Brown” was available, the fabric giving the Yaris a refreshing look.
New warm silver trim or titanium silver coating was added around the central stack, steering wheel, and gearshift.
The biggest advance available with the 2008 Toyota Yaris was the introduction of the new 1.33-liter DUAL VVT-i gasoline engine that featured a “Stop & Start” technology. The new unit produced 101 hp and 132 Nm@4,000 rpm, offering fuel consumption of around 5.1-liters/100 km (46.12 MPG-US) with both the manual and the MMT (automated) transmission.
The 1.0-liter VVT-i petrol, the 1.4-liter D-4D diesel, and the 1.8-liter dual VVT-i units were also reworked for better performance and lower fuel consumption.
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