Remark: If a foreigner or a local without a car license will not be permitted to rent a car, and their booking will be cancelled or forfeited.

Selling hatchbacks like the Toyota Yaris in Malaysia is a peculiar business. With the exception of our extremely popular local models, most Malaysians still prefer a sedan, or even a crossover or SUV, to the diminutive hatchback layout. Why that is the case is down to a variety of reasons – perceived practicality, value for money, or safety – but despite all this, the Toyota Yaris is a car that manages to rise above it all.

This wasn't always the case. The Toyota Yaris is a model with a very odd and convoluted history. Toyota Malaysia did try to introduce the Yaris to Malaysians back in the mid-2000s, though the problem was that it was still very much a global car – which meant that even the pure construction of it, sans features, was already extremely expensive.

The reason for the expense was because of standards and requirements in places like Europe and America where NVH and comfort are placed above everything else. Eventually, Toyota developed a separate Yaris specifically for Asia, which was more cost-effective to build and essentially shared a platform with the Vios that we know and love. In some markets, the Mazda 2 is even rebadged as a Toyota Yaris for various other reasons.

Whatever it is, we finally have an entry-level hatchback from Toyota that is competitively priced in the Malaysian market. For the most part, the mechanicals is similar to the Vios, but the form factor is what sets the Toyota Yaris apart. One engine, one transmission, and three variants.