toyota
Land Cruiser
The Land Cruiser enters a new era with a look that’s unlike any of its predecessors’. The blocky design gives it a futuristic appearance but be in no doubt that this Land Cruiser remains every bit as capable on-road as it does on more challenging off-road conditions. Land Cruiser aficionados will love the limited-production retro look of the launch edition, while business users will be glad to know that a commercial version is also available.
Land Cruiser remains every bit as capable on-road as it does on more challenging
off-road conditions
Prius
No other vehicle is as synonymous with hybrid technology as the Toyota Prius, and this latest generation shakes off the dowdy image thanks to a striking design. Available only as a plug-in hybrid, its sleek shape enables a 71km electric range, low emissions, and frugal fuel economy to boot. However, its form impacts function, with limited rear passenger headroom, below-average boot space, and sub-optimal outward visibility. It compensates with a very refined driving experience.
Aygo X
Everyone wants an SUV these days, so Toyota turned the dinky little Aygo into one. Well, it turned the Aygo into a car that looks like an SUV, with chunky plastic panels around the edges and slightly raised ride height. The Aygo X is pricier than the previous Aygo, but justifies that with an improved cabin and better comfort on long journeys. It’s one of the few Toyotas with no hybrid option.
bZ4X
Toyota’s sole all-electric offering so far impresses with its quality and practicality, but it comes up short on range, especially in real-world conditions. Certainly, a rival VW or Hyundai product goes further on one charge, but then the Toyota battery is reckoned to be second to none when it comes to long-term reliability and the bz4X is quite sharply priced. The four-wheel-drive version is surprisingly talented off-road, but a bit superfluous if you just drive on tarmac.
C-HR
Toyota says it wanted the C-HR to look like a motor show concept car. Well, mission accomplished — this is a genuinely distinctive-looking car, especially in a two-tone paint finish. The hybrid versions — either a 1.8 or a 2.0 — are impressively economical, while the plug-in hybrid has good electric range and is still frugal on a long run. This isn’t a large family-carrying SUV, but clearly buyers love them.
Corolla
The Corolla received a round of updates last year, the primary one of which was an improved 1.8-litre hybrid system that saw its peak power output rise to 140hp without any penalty in fuel economy. That kind of makes the 2.0-litre option a bit pointless. It’s still a sharp-looking car, and still incredibly good to drive too, but go for the Touring Sports estate or the saloon if you want space in the back seats as the hatchback is cramped.
Corolla Cross
A slightly high-rise Corolla, the Corolla Cross is the car for those who want a practical, useful car but can’t bring themselves to drive a humbler estate. In that role, it performs very well with a choice of very frugal 1.8 or 2.0-litre hybrid engines, plenty of interior space and a big boot (even if the Corolla Touring Sports estate is roomier still). Not the most thrilling car around, but sensible enough to work its way into your affections.
Proace Verso
The Proace Verso has just been given a mild update, with new styling including a blunt grille and bumpers, which looks more appropriate on the electric model, though that hasn’t gone on sale here yet. For now, we get a choice of two diesel engines, and the Proace Verso has sufficient seats for eight or nine people on board, depending on the layout. It’s a hugely practical thing, if more van-like to drive than the rival VW Multivan.
Toyota’s sole All-electric offering so far impresses with its quality and practicality, but it comes up short on range, especially in real-world conditions
RAV4
The RAV4 looks to have not changed much in the years since the current model was launched, but that’s fine as this is a car that Toyota got right the first time around.
It splits the difference between more car-like SUVs such as the C-HR and the proper, chunky, off-road Land Cruiser.
The RAV4’s cabin looks rugged, but is wonderfully comfortable, while the plug-in hybrid model is possibly the best all-round plug-in hybrid EV you can currently buy.
Yaris
One of the smallest Toyotas is also one of the most versatile, covering all bases from the affordable petrol-only version to the more high-tech and ultra-frugal Yaris Hybrid, and on to the wild, incredible, growling GR Yaris, a turbocharged four-wheel-drive hot hatch. That’s quite some spread of character, but the Yaris pulls it off. Even the basic models are good to drive, but the rear seats and boot are a touch small.
Yaris Cross
Toyota struck gold when it designed the Yaris Cross, and we’re not just referring to the optional metallic yellow paint job. A taller, more practical Yaris, it gets cute styling that manages to appeal across the board, and useful space inside the cabin and boot.
The hybrid engine (there’s only one powertrain) is exceptionally economical, and it’s good to drive. It’s also the same size as the original 1990s RAV4, which is surely no coincidence.
Hilux
Toyota has such confidence in its Hilux pickup’s dependability that it even calls one of its trim levels the Invincible. An updated model arrives in 2025 including mild-hybrid technology to enhance efficiency, but in reality, buyers only care that it will never break down no matter what they throw at it. Diesel power reigns supreme though Toyota has succumbed to consumer demand for sportier-looking trucks and the GR Sport version is now in the second generation.