Toyota Yaris Cross: Just about everybody's supermini needs catered for

A monthly motoring column by Leigh Robinson.

The Toyota Yaris Cross is one of the best superminis on the market - and of course, being a Toyota, you know you are getting a good deal.

There are five trims priced from £22,000 to £32,000, with just one engine option, which is a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol that uses a hybrid system to boost performance and efficiency. This gives you 0-62mph in 11 seconds.

The car can run solely on electric power if you don’t push it too hard, and you will easily get 60 miles to the gallon. The hybrid system keeps your CO2 emissions to 100g/km.

The majority of models are front-wheel drive with the higher trims - Dynamic and Premiere Edition - having four-wheel drive.

Generally the ride is pretty good. It’s firm, not too noisy and fun to drive, which gives you bags of confidence behind the wheel. A stiff suspension helps the smooth ride, the steering is near perfect and there is good vision from the cab because you are sitting higher than in most other cars. Your vision is helped with a rear-view camera and the Excel trim has front and rear parking sensors as well.

There's plenty of room up front with storage space including two cupholders, a tray in front of the gear selector and another under the infotainment screen for your phone. Two six-footers can get into the front or back and there is plenty of boot space - around the 400-litre mark - meaning you can easily get two large cases for a trip.

The Cross also has the 40/20/40-split folding rear seats in all apart from the entry-level trim.

The Icon and Design models both have an 8in touchscreen infotainment system, while the more expensive models have the 9in version and built-in satnav. Apple CarPlay or Android Auto are standard across the range.

There is a three-year manufacturer warranty which can be extended with regular servicing at a Toyota dealer. Every service has a 12-month warranty up to 100,000 miles or 10 years whichever comes first.