Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) recently unboxed the Yaris Cross Hybrid to mark the arrival of another nameplate that further pushes the company’s efforts toward electrification.
And while the country’s local automotive landscape’s roster of electrified models might still be in its salad days, there are several nameplates looking to give the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid a warm welcome.
Today, we pit together the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid against the Nissan Kicks e-Power.
The Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid measures 4,310 millimeters (mm) long, 1,770mm wide, and 1,615mm tall. It has a wheelbase of 2620mm and a minimum ground clearance of 212mm.
Meanwhile, the Nissan Kicks e-Power offers an overall length of 4,300mm, an overall width of 1,760, and an overall height of 1,615. Its wheelbase is 2,620mm and its minimum ground clearance is 180mm.
Both automobiles sport subcompact sport utility vehicle (SUV)-like proportions with different design elements that give them their own unique identities.
For example, the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid wears a large trapezoidal grille with a design that sort of combines the mesh-type and honeycomb layout. The said radiator cover is complemented by a lower front bumper that looks similarly wide.
To each side are thin LED headlamps, LED daytime running lights (DRL), and LED foglamps.
On the flanks of the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid is either a set of 17 or 18-inch alloy wheels, black wheel arches and door claddings, black window bezels, body-colored door handles and side mirrors with turn signals, as well as a pair of discreet roof rails.
At the back, the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid flaunts a small roof-mounted spoiler with a third break lamp (LED), a shark fin antenna, and two LED rear combination taillamps.
Meanwhile, the Nissan Kicks e-power dons the brand’s V-Motion grille that are bordered by thin LED headlamps, LED DRLs, and LED fog lamps.
Its side profiles are adorned with black wheel arches, black claddings on its doors, black side mirrors with turn signals, black A, B, and C-pillars, and a black roof. It also sports body-colored door handles, silver roof rails, and e-Power badges.
At the rear of the Nissan Kicks e-Power is a roof-mounted spoiler with a high-mount stop lamp, a shark fin antenna, and a pair of rear combination taillamps.
Overall, both subcompact crossovers look great and come with nearly identical exterior appointments. With that, we will call this round a tie.
Inside, notable features offered by the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid include seats wrapped in synthetic leather with blue stitching, its dashboard finished in soft touch material with blue trims, and a multi-functional steering wheel swathed in the same plush material.
Tech-wise, TMP’s newest hybrid car is slapped with a fully-digital seven-inch instrument cluster, a 10.1-inch infotainment system, an automatic single-zone air conditioning system, a panoramic moonroof, and a power tailgate with a kick sensor.
As for the Nissan Kicks e-Power, its cabin comes with the brand’s Zero Gravity seats finished in genuine leather hide, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a dashboard finished in plush soft-touch upholstery.
In the area of technology, the Nissan Kicks e-Power offers a seven-inch instrument panel with analog and digital displays, a smaller eight-inch infotainment system, as well as a single-zone air conditioning unit.
In this round, we will have to give the win to the newer Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid thanks to its offerings of more modern amenities that are sure to satisfy the needs of today’s modern car owners.
Powering the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid is a 1.5-liter gasoline engine mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and puts out as much as 90 horsepower (hp). This setup is paired with a motor generator, which generates around 80 horses. Torque peaks at 121 Newton-meters (Nm)
As for Nissan’s Kicks e-Power, it uses a 1.2-liter powerplant married to an automatic single-speed gear reduction arrangement. The said layout makes around 98hp with 280Nm of pulling power.
We give this round to the Nissan Kicks e-Power thanks to its stronger powertrain setup, which also offers a more spirited drive.
The Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid offers more than the basic safety amenities to ensure that its occupants are safeguarded during their journeys. Found are a suite of seatbelts and airbags an anti-lock brake system (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, vehicle stability control, hill-start assist, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.
For added safety, it comes with the Toyota Safety Sense technology that adds a pre-collision assist system, automatic high beam, lane trace assist, lane keeping assist, and cruise control.
The same can be said with the Nissan Kicks e-Power as it also boasts a mix of standard and advanced safety solutions. The former includes safety features like airbags and seatbelts, ABS, and vehicle dynamic control. The latter, on the other hand, is packaged under Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility safety technologies, which comes with an intelligent around-view monitor, intelligent forward collision warning, intelligent emergency braking, driver attention alert, hill-start assist, and the e-Pedal Step.
Sadly, the Nissan Kicks e-Power is yet to be equipped with the brand’s latest in-car technology, dubbed NissanConnect. This feature is offered in the new Almera.
1.5 G CVT – P1.199 million
1.5 V CVT – P1.306 million
1.5 S HEV (Hybrid) – P1.598 million
e-Power EL – P1.239 million
e-Power VE – P1.339 million
e-Power VL – P1.539 million
Choosing between the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid and the Nissan Kicks e-Power will mainly boil down to personal preference. One of the strong points of the former is its interior while the latter will wow its would-be owners with its impressive power.
That said, the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid and the Nissan Kicks e-Power will most likely tap different types of customers in the segment. However, they remain two of the best options for those looking for a real hybrid vehicle.
Photos from Toyota, Nissan, and Ruben Manahan IV
Also read:
Here's what to expect in the upcoming Toyota Yaris Cross
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