The latest rendition of the Toyota Yaris is a vast improvement on it's predecessor. The smooth, frugal and responsive hybrid engine, backed up by Toyota's legendary robustness make the Yaris a faithful city companion. The Toyota Yaris competes with cars like the VW Polo and Seat Ibiza which rarely excite the senses. So, Toyota ripped up the rule book for the latest Yaris to move past its competition and get to the heart of what makes a hot hatch hot. The car’s styling, engine and platform are all new, making the Yaris far more desirable and fun to drive than ever before. This all comes without compromising the car’s excellent fuel economy or its easygoing usability. Inside the new Yaris there’s far more soft-touch trim and a generally cleaner, more modern design. Where some rivals have ditched unfashionable buttons in favour of more touchscreen controls, the Yaris strikes a nice middle ground. You have an infotainment system to handle mapping and music, but the climate controls and key driving controls are all still physical buttons that are easier to use while driving. The Yaris's touchscreen is well laid out, responsive and You still get the all-important Apple CarPlay and Android Auto combo. The 1.5 litre Hybrid engine means the car is able to drive short distances on electric power alone, such as crawling through traffic, but it only recharges the battery using the engine or when slowing down. Toyota’s latest generation of hybrid engines are good – properly good. The electric motor is quick to respond when you accelerate, giving the Yaris some of that off-the-line zip you get from a full EV. You do notice the extra noise when the petrol engine kicks which is nice - it reminds you the car has some guts that work harmoniously with the rest of the system. Overall. the Yaris GR Sport is about as fuss-free as a small automatic hatchback gets. Fun to drive, nimble, with a good interior, it does the job, and very well.