ASEAN gets Daihatsu-based Toyota Yaris Cross, will PH get it too?

The Toyota Yaris Cross has finally arrived in the ASEAN Region, but wait. It looks nothing like the Yaris Cross that was previously revealed in 2020 for the Japanese, Australian, and European markets. That’s because this Yaris Cross is based on the Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA) platform.

That’s right, the Toyota Yaris Cross for the ASEAN market is a completely different vehicle from the one that’s based on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform, and is also a larger vehicle. Toyota says this version was specifically designed to manage harsher and tougher environment conditions in the region.

For its exterior, the Daihatsu-based Toyota Yaris Cross wears the brand’s “Solid & Dynamic” design language, giving it a look that is similar to that of the Toyota Highlander SUV sold in the North American market. The rear on the other hand looks slightly similar to the rear of the larger Toyota RAV4 compact SUV. Like mentioned earlier, this shares nothing with the first released Toyota Yaris Cross and that is very much apparent here.

The interior is where the Toyota Yaris Cross shows its Daihatsu roots, with a design that is similar to what can be seen in other Daihatsu-based Toyota products such as the Raize and Avanza. Among its features are a padded dashboard, 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment, 7-inch digital instrument cluster, leather seats, leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel, and digital single zone climate control.

Under the hood, the DNGA-based Toyota Yaris Cross comes with two powertrain options. The first is a 1.5-liter 2NR-VE naturally-aspirated gasoline engine that produces 105 horsepower and 138 Nm of torque. The second is a new 1.5-liter 2NR-VEX gasoline engine that produces 91 horsepower and 121 Nm of torque. This one is paired to an electric motor making it a hybrid powertrain that produces a total combined output of 111 horsepower.

The Toyota Yaris Cross also doesn’t scrimp on safety as it comes with Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Blind Spot Monitor (BSM), and various Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) driver-assist safety technologies. That’s on top of the usual six (6) airbags, anti-lock braking system with elevctronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist, emergency stop signal, hill start assist , and vehicle stability control.

Now the question is whether this will also arrive in the Philippines. There were already rumors on this way back but nothing is certain at this point. Toyota Motor Philippines has also remained mum on what models they plan to introduce soon. We do hope that this is one of them.

Photos from PT Toyota-Astra Motor (Toyota Indonesia).