The Bangkok Motor Show ran from March 23rd to April 3rd this year, and as always, there was a number of manufacturers set up to show their latest and greatest. Toyota->ke88 had a decent little booth set up in between Chevy->ke199 and Lexus->ke47 this year. Of course, it boasted a number of its current models, but one model that stuck out in the crowd was the Toyota Yaris TRD Sportivo.

As you probably guessed by the name, this particular Yaris->ke354 was touched by Toyota Racing Development. Be that as it may, don’t get too excited about it because it didn’t exactly get the best TRD treatment we’ve seen in recent years. There is a pretty list of exterior options and some update to the interior to go with them, but outside of that, TRD appears to have left the drivetrain completely alone.

While it’s easy to rag on Toyota for not throwing on some of TRD’s drivetrain goodies, at least it did a decent job making it visually pleasing on the outside. So, now that we know there’s nothing special lurking under the hood, let’s at least take a glance at what TRD did do to make the Yaris TRD Sportivo stand out.

Continue reading to learn more about the Toyota Yaris TRD Sportivo.

2016 Toyota Yaris TRD Sportivo

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2016 Toyota Yaris TRD Sportivo
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What makes the Toyota Yaris TRD Sportivo special

The Yaris TRD Sportiva is essentially based on the Yaris G minus a few features like the turn indicators on the side view mirrors, a multifunction steering wheel, multifunction information display, and acoustic windshield. What sets it apart, however, makes it so much better than the model it is based on. Up front, you’ll notice that the front grille is painted black, and extends down to the lower fascia where it integrates into the black cladding that surrounds the entire bottom of the vehicle and the wheel arches (on the stock model the cladding stops at the lower fascia.) Furthermore, that cladding on the front fascia extends into the lower corners of the air dam to support the LED running lights. The front end is equipped with fog lights that are embedded into the corner fascia inserts. A silver front lip is applied to both fascias and the side skirts.

Outside of the “body kit” and the black cladding around the bottom, the Yaris TRD Sportivo is also equipped with custom-looking wheels, and a set of roof rails. To the rear, the black cladding covers the lower portion of the rear fascia, and there is also a silver insert in the middle. TRD emblems have also been added to the front and rear of this Yaris. Aside from the things mentioned here, the rest of the body is identical to any other Yaris, but sometimes the little things make all the difference.

Inside, there are a few modifications to talk about, but nothing major. Mounted in the center stack is a double-din, seven-inch, touchscreen display with MP3, MP4, DVD, CD, and WMA compatibility. It also offers USB, Micro HDMI, SD-Card, and Bluetooth connectivity with T-connect. You’ll find that the orange body color from the exterior carries over to accent the interior. There are body-colored inserts on the door trim panels and each side of the dash. The seats have orange accents on each side. The floor mats are outlined in orange and feature the “TRD Sportivo” logo in the middle. Rounding out the interior is the orange backlighting for the instrument cluster gauges and mileage display.

As I mentioned before, the Yaris TRD Sportiva didn’t get any drivetrain updates that we know of. Expect to see the same 3NR-FE 1.2-liter VVT-I, four-cylinder engine. It produces 84 horsepower and 79 pound-feet of torque, which is sent to the front wheels. Toyota hasn’t provided official performance figures for the TRD Sportiva, but with that kind of output, don’t expect it to go anywhere fast – even with the fancy TRD body kit. It’s unfortunate that TRD didn’t put more effort into this model. It would have been interesting to see a 150 horsepower Yaris. Oh well, it’s not like it’s coming to the U.S. anyway.

Toyota Yaris

The Toyota Yaris hit the market in 1999 as a replacement for the Toyota Starlet. Of course, it was also known as the Echo in some parts of the world. Here in the U.S., It is offered as a three-door hatchback and a five-door hatchback. The Yaris comes in three different trim levels – L, LE, and SE – but the SE trim is reserved only for the five-door model. It is offered with only a 1.5-liter here in the U.S., but it still offers little in terms of motivation with just 106 horsepower and 103 pound-feet of torque. U.S. specs claim the Yaris can hit 60 mph in 11.5 seconds and has a top speed of 120 mph. As of the time of this writing, the base-level, three-door starts out at $14,895 with the three-door LE starting out at $16,555. The five-door starts out at $15,995 and climbs to as much as $16,930 for the five-door LE.

Read our full review on the Toyota Yaris here.