The Yaris is back. Some may remember that it was once sold by UMWT, but being fully imported it was unappealingly expensive and thus sold in small numbers. A decade or so after, here it is, assembled at UMW Toyota’s all-new factory in Klang and free from the ghosts of Yaris past.

You can now get one from RM71,000, which of course is bang in the same neighbourhood as the Honda Jazz. As far as design goes, that’s a matter of personal taste but the Honda is immediately more interesting in my book. However, that’s the POV of my 40+ year brain. A more youthful mind would perhaps prefer the sharp lines of the Toyota; if not, it also comes in more vibrant colours (would celebrity Janna Nick being the ambassador push you in choosing the Yaris, though?).

My test unit during the media drive does not come with the RM71k price tag. Instead this top-spec 1.5G variant is RM83,888 and sports 16-inch alloys, LED rear combi lights, fog lamps (front and rear), Drive Mode Switch (Sports and Eco mode), 6.8-inch touchscreen, and Panoramic View Monitor, among others. All these are also shared with the mid-spec 1.5E too.

I get into the car and spot a flaw – the steering is not telescopic. The dashboard is rather bare but that’s not a big surprise, and certainly better than Toyota trying too hard like playing with faux wood trim. The black fabric with blue stitching covering the seats is even decent and for the half-day driving time allocated, is fairly comfortable.

What I do notice is the comfort, not just because of the damping – which was pleasantly decent – but the low NVH (noise, vibration & harshness) adds to the appeal. Toyota has got their CVT game going in the right direction at the moment, because while the RPM does stick around too long in certain conditions, it’s better than their earlier efforts. If anything, the hilly roads around Janda Baik make it seem like this is where it plays better.

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