Designing supercars is for kids. If you want a real challenge, get a job on the supermini desk. It's Europe's toughest sector to succeed in, thanks to us... We want exterior styling by Mr Kipling, interiors by Eddie Stobart and equipment by 007's Q.
And practically speaking?
Well, they must steer on a sixpence, park on a fiver and still be roomy enough to contain high-tech luxury and hi-res quality. And they have to club-class comfy too, with never a hint of consequent wallet assault. In short, they must be mini, but boy, they'd better be more than super.
Was Yaris 1 a success?
It was never going to outpace a Porsche or make your local minibus firm lose sleep, but it was a fuss-free invention that, as far as compact cleverness goes, ranks comfortably alongside Cadbury's cream egg and Marcel Bich's Biro. And don't listen to me: Yaris was Europe's Car of the Year in 1999 and 209,000 British families happily made space on their driveways for this cuddly and charismatic creation.
So a hard act to follow then?
Yes, but thankfully Toyota gave the design job to its Nice outfit - with promising results. You liked the playful looks and solid, chunky feel of the original? Well as you can already see, the familiar features, albeit a little sharpened up, are largely unchanged: keener, yes, but no less charming. Larger headlamps, a sturdier and more pronounced front grille and a slight forward-swooping curve to the waistline mark the key enhancements, although this is a subtly larger machine. The bones and skin are entirely fresh, this Yaris being built on an all-new, longer platform from Toyota, ensuring that the final frame measures 110mm more tip to tail and 30mm extra, elevation-wise.
Which means?
A reinforced chassis makes the Yaris now 50% stiffer over twisty tarmac and bumps, translating into lower vibration and noise levels, along with a ride that's smoother than Robbie in a velvet jacket. Considerably. Thanks to improvements in the electronic steering's reactions and the engineers' insistence that, along with all-round improvements to the suspension, all four wheels should be banished to the furthest corners of the car, the latest Yaris (as revealed by a few hours' wheel-to-tarmac combat on the worst chicanes of the Alpes Maritimes), is as confident on corners as it is demure and debonair when cruising along the Corniche.
Is diesel best?
What would you guess? The 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol is the world's lightest engine, knocking out 69bhp and mustering 52.3mpg. The same 1.3-litre four-cylinder design that powered the first Yaris to such heights of popularity sits alongside it, but the best for performance is Toyota's world-first all-aluminium 1.4-litre diesel. It positively sparkles here, producing a muscular 89bhp (up 15bhp on its previous incarnation) and a pump-dodging 62.8mpg overall. Yet it reaches 62mph in a respectable 10.7 seconds. Like the 1.3, it's available with five-speed manual or new Multi-Mode gearing that allows you to automatic or sequential gear changes.
And what's the kit like?
All come with remote central locking, twin front airbags, power-adjustable door mirrors, a CD player, electric front windows and electric power steering. Step up from T2 to T3 and you have front side, curtain shield and (a world first) driver's knee airbags, a leather-trimmed steering wheel with extra audio controls, air conditioning and an upgraded sound system which, unlike me, knows what an MP3 is and how to play it. T Spirit spells full red-carpet treatment, including a keyless Smart Entry and Start system electronic climate control, front fog lamps and snazzy 15-inch alloy wheels.
And is it a pinch?
Far from it. Even five-up, luggage space in the boot area is exemplary. For heavier loads, the false floor cover can be removed to add greater load-swallowing volume. If that's not enough, the entire rear seating area can be slid forward by up to 150mm, while if you're in serious flee-the-country mode, the asymmetrically splitting rear seats fold flat in a second, thanks to Toyota's ingenious Easy-Flat system.
A winner then?
It looks that way. Add such nice touches as high-quality plastics on the doors and dash and an innovative but wonderfully practical instrument pack information (projected to your brain via an ultra-cool centrally-mounted digital display) and it's got more than its fair share of cool. On sale in January, with prices for the five-door diesel starting at ¯¿½10,595, it's certainly sets a tough new standard for 2006.
