Toyota Yaris Cross Dynamic

First, there was the Yaris, and then came the Yaris Cross. Now, a new trim has been launched: Dynamic.

It adds some rugged off-road styling to the car, as well as a black bi-tone roof, body-coloured rear bumper and door handles, privacy glass, front and rear LED light guides and a gloss black upper front grille.

Dual-zone automatic air conditioning, a nine-inch multimedia system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto also feature.

Propulsion comes from a 1.5-litre petrol engine and a small electric motor. This happy union returns an impressive mid-fifties mpg and 112g/km of CO2.

The car’s acceleration won’t stain your underwear – it takes 11.2 seconds to reach 62mph. Mind you, the compact Toyota’s 105mph top speed is a good effort.

The Yaris Cross Dynamic is excellent for driving around town, zipping in and out of traffic. But if that’s the priority, it’s challenging to understand why you’d want the Cross over the standard Yaris.

On motorways, some competitors are more refined. But the Toyota’s ride is quite firm, so it makes for decent handling.

An attractive interior is also provided, and the reasonably large infotainment touchscreen is easy to read, so it’s not an environment you’d be in a hurry to leave.

Overall, then, despite a few minor flaws, the Yaris Cross Dynamic is worthy of being on your list of cars to check out when you’re next shopping for a compact motor.