Well, you certainly can’t accuse the Yaris Cross of being boring, especially in Urban form.
And to be fair, images and videos don’t do the Yaris Cross justice. We had our reservations about its exterior, particularly that front end, but having now experienced it in the metal, it’s actually quite interesting – in a good way.
The stubby nose gives the Yaris Cross a distinctive – and perhaps divisive – look, but it’s certainly a strong face you’ll remember, with a touch of aggression provided by the wide but narrow grille
Then there’s the smart LED headlights positioned up high, which are complemented by the deep set of vertical LED daytime running lights found directly below.
Take in the side view, and the Yaris Cross attempts to remind you that it’s more than a just a high-riding hatchback, what with its obligatory black plastic wheelarch cladding and door mouldings.
It’s also here where our test vehicle’s two-tone paintwork really comes to the fore, with Ink Mica (black) the finish for all of its body panels except the roof, side-mirror covers and rocker mouldings, which are of the gold variety instead.
Yep, it’s got some personality.
The Urban also gets a slick set of 18-inch alloy wheels with 215/50 tyres, which add to the sporty aesthetic set off by the fast roofline.
The Yaris Cross is at its most conservative at the rear, with the bumper almost entirely black plastic, although the horizontally linked LED tail-lights do make it look more premium
Inside, the Urban continues to be daring, with eyes immediately drawn to its dark-brown artificial leather upholstery with tweed-like fabric inserts. It’s an acquired taste, and, if we're honest, it's not one we’re not sure we can stomach. And unfortunately, there’s no other factory option.
The dark-brown theme also extends to the lower dashboard and front door inserts, with the latter rather interesting to touch. And aside from the delightful soft-touch upper dashboard, hard plastics are used for almost every other surface, which is to be expected.
What isn’t is the undersized 7.0-inch central touchscreen, which does Toyota’s rather basic multimedia system absolutely no favours, with some words very hard to read. At least Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support is on hand.
Better executed is the 4.2-inch multifunction display, which is horizontally positioned between the separately enclosed tachometer and digital speedometer that, again, look a lot better in person. The leather-trimmed steering wheel with paddle-shifters is also a treat.