What a confusing mess Toyota's specs and options are!!

[CPN]

We've decided to explore the idea of changing our 2020 Yaris Launch Edition for a new Yaris Cross so yesterday we went for an extended test drive in the demo car at the local dealer's which was an Excel Model with the "Adventure Pack" fitted (not available now). Our overall impressions were very positive but there were a few things to comment on.

Firstly, I think Toyota needs to be instructed on how to properly measure their media screens! "Hey Toyota? Screens for all types of media devices are measured diagonally and NOT the way you do it!!!" (lengthwise!) So actually, the 9" screen quoted is actually a 10" screen in real terms (using the industry standard corner to corner) and that is a good thing!

Even better is (and this contradicts some reports I have read on here) that the software/hardware (even on this July 2021 model) is not only fitted with the Touch 2 built-in Satnav but it also had wireless Apple Carplay/Android Auto and it worked really well! It should be noted that the "wireless" part is not done using WiFi at all but via the bluetooth connection. (you need to make sure that the Android Auto app on your phone is fully up to date for this to work)

So, it was a simple matter of pairing with the phone's bluetooth in the normal way and then prompts come up asking if you want to enable Android Auto (having made sure that you have checked the "wireless" option in the app on your phone first - see photo) and once you have done this, the "Projection" icon (top right on the home screen - weird name for an icon!) changes to "Android Auto" with the name of your connected phone ("Pixel 3XL" in my case) under it and bingo! Choices! I like choices! 🙂 

One thing it does show up, by being able to switch back and forth from the built-in Touch 2 to AA/AC, is just how much better the choice of maps with AA/AC actually is and the final bonus with this Adventure Pack was the wireless charging shelf just under the head unit. So, get in the car, put the car in that shelf and everything is good with no cables in sight! I also like no cables! 🙂

(we also test drove an auto Aygo X earlier in the day and the head unit on that was identical in terms of software and hardware. A nice little car but a bit too much of a downgrade from the Yaris unfortunately...)

One thing that I really did miss from my current car was the HUD. I have just got so used to it being there and being able to take in its information without having to avert my sight from the road ahead. It's a real pity that Toyota can't offer this as an option in all its model ranges.

Something that the wife commented on was the lack of shelves and cubby holes in the Yaris Cross when compared with the Yaris which was a shame but not a deal breaker.

The boot was a surprise in the Yaris Cross! Compared to the standard Yaris, it appears to be cavernous! Great, room for yet more junk lol!

One of the things I noticed straight away was that I couldn't put the driver's seat as far back (I'm 6' 3") in the Cross as I can in the Yaris but it's probably only one notch on the rack and is liveable with in reality. It also ensures that there is at least room to get a pair of legs behind me!

All in all a very positive experience and all that remains now is to decide what colour we want and to wade our way through the maze that is Toyota's option packs to settle on the one we want. If only they did a Yaris Cross in the same colour as the Limited Edition Aygo X with the Canvas Roof.... That is a sharp looking wee car and even though it is a little under powered, the 7 gears made up for it a bit and it was a relaxing drive on the motorway. 🙂 

 

 

[IT Troll]

Hmm, some inaccuracies here.

The Touch 2 system only comes with an 8" screen. The 9" screen is the newer Smart Connect system which does have wireless phone connectivity. 9" is the LCD panel size, there is a non-display border which is not immediately obvious when you have a black background. I've outlined the actual display area.

I don't believe any UK models have wireless charging. I heard stories of some dealers claiming that the shelf under the screen has wireless charging, but that is false. Models in some EU countries do come with wireless charging but that is located in the lower compartment, in front of the shift lever. The Adventure Pack is just mud flaps and mats. See my post here for a DIY wireless charging solution for UK models:

I do agree with you about the Cardamom Green Aygo X. I would love to have had that as an option for the Yaris Cross. My dealer said that was the launch colour and so would remain exclusive to the Aygo X. In the same way that the Yaris Cross had Brass Gold.

 

[einfachGaer]

Android Auto doesn't work with bluetooth. It establishes a connection via bluetooth but the data is transferred over wifi direct.

[flash22]

Its only wireless CarPlay, wireless AA is not supported 9" is the diagonal of the actual display, as above it is the smart connect system bluetooth doesn't have the bandwidth for AA/AC

Wireless charging is the same as the Mk4 Yaris it's about £700 in parts, more than like dropped due to supply issues

 

It still only 1 usb port that blows

[Roy124]

23 hours ago, CPN said:

Something that the wife commented on was the lack of shelves and cubby holes in the Yaris Cross when compared with the Yaris which was a shame but not a deal breaker.

The boot was a surprise in the Yaris Cross! Compared to the standard Yaris, it appears to be cavernous! Great, room for yet more junk lol!

Spot on with both, with the latter being one of the two main points for switching from Corolla to Yaris Cross. 

[CPN]

21 hours ago, IT Troll said:

Hmm, some inaccuracies here.

Really? So you are saying that I am lying about what I found and wrote about then? Could I politely point out that I am a retired Telecommunications, IT & Electronics Engineer. I know exactly what I am talking about thank you very much!

21 hours ago, IT Troll said:

The Touch 2 system only comes with an 8" screen. The 9" screen is the newer Smart Connect system which does have wireless phone connectivity. 9" is the LCD panel size, there is a non-display border which is not immediately obvious when you have a black background. I've outlined the actual display area.

I don't need a lesson on how to measure an LCD screen correctly thanks. The Smart Connect system (which references "Touch 2" during its sign on!) that it had measures 9" across the actual visible (lit-up - not the border) top of the screen but I will repeat again, this is NOT the correct way to measure a screen by industry standards and across the diagonal (corner to corner - bl to tr) it measures exactly 10" with a tape measure!!

21 hours ago, IT Troll said:

I don't believe any UK models have wireless charging. I heard stories of some dealers claiming that the shelf under the screen has wireless charging, but that is false.

Oh ok, so that shelf with its own illuminated on/off button was a myth then and I was making it all up? Oh and my Pixel 3XL laying on it (the shelf directly under the head unit) and saying on screen "97% - Charging wirelessly - full in 8 mins" was also made up?

21 hours ago, IT Troll said:

Models in some EU countries do come with wireless charging but that is located in the lower compartment, in front of the shift lever.

Well in this car, it wasn't in that compartment.

21 hours ago, IT Troll said:

The Adventure Pack is just mud flaps and mats. See my post here for a DIY wireless charging solution for UK models:

I would appreciate it if you were not so patronising thank you. I am not an idiot and do have a decent IQ level!

21 hours ago, IT Troll said:

I do agree with you about the Cardamom Green Aygo X. I would love to have had that as an option for the Yaris Cross. My dealer said that was the launch colour and so would remain exclusive to the Aygo X. In the same way that the Yaris Cross had Brass Gold.

At last something we can agree on!

Next time I will make sure to take photos to back up every single detail of what I have said!

[CPN]

1 hour ago, flash22 said:

Its only wireless CarPlay, wireless AA is not supported 9" is the diagonal of the actual display, as above it is the smart connect system Bluetooth doesn't have the bandwidth for AA/AC

Wireless charging is the same as the Mk4 Yaris it's about £700 in parts, more than like dropped due to supply issues

 

It still only 1 usb port that blows

Sorry Bob but in this particular case, you are wrong and the next time I visit the dealer I will take photos to prove every single thing that I said in my OP. We drove around for about an hour with Android Auto connected via bluetooth wirelessly from my phone and it didn't miss a (connectivity) beat once during that time (and there was no indication of any wireless network connection of any sort on the phone either - apart, of course for the BT link).

Same thing for the wireless charging (which I admit to being surprised to find...).

[Cyker]

Well in a way you're both right (Or wrong depending on your point of view  ) - bluetooth is a low-bandwidth low-power connection... protocol? 

They realized it just wasn't suitable for anything more demanding than compressed audio, but couldn't increase it without compromising the whole point of bluetooth (inexpensive lowpower - WiFi is a massive power hog by comparison), so around BT3.0 (I think) they added the ability of it to hijack a compatible WiFi chip (A lot of them share the same electronics since they're both 2.4GHz) and use the much higher bandwidth WiFi protocol/signalling/whatever as a transport for more demanding applications.

It's not like normal WiFi so I wouldn't call it WiFi, it's more a sort of weird hybrid of bluetooth protocols running over wifi physical transport.

The connection gets set up with normal (slow) Bluetooth, then it negotiates the wifi transport connection, and then that gets used for all the heavy lifting.

So when flash says Bluetooth doesn't have the bandwidth for AA/ACP this is technically correct, but it's also wrong as BT cheats and uses WiFi, and this is still considered Bluetooth, even tho' it's really WiFi  

[flash22]

Wireless AA must be new this year for MY22 on the cross, as it wasn't on the 21 that just had Wireless AC, As above wireless AA uses bluetooth for calls and to establish a 5ghz direct Wi-Fi link, the app controls this and doesn't have to show the connection

edit. it's a mix of PAN and LAN/WAN/PPP eMBB

[IT Troll]

31 minutes ago, CPN said:

The Smart Connect system (which references "Touch 2" during its sign on!) that it had measures 9" across the actual visible (lit-up - not the border) top of the screen but I will repeat again, this is NOT the correct way to measure a screen by industry standards and across the diagonal (corner to corner - bl to tr) it measures exactly 10" with a tape measure!!

Here is my 9" Smart Connect system. It measures 9" on the diagonal. I see no mention of "Touch 2" during boot up, login or on any screen. References are however made to MyT and Smart Services.

34 minutes ago, CPN said:

Oh ok, so that shelf with its own illuminated on/off button was a myth then and I was making it all up? Oh and my Pixel 3XL laying on it (the shelf directly under the head unit) and saying on screen "97% - Charging wirelessly - full in 8 mins" was also made up?

Well I can't explain that. Other than if the tester is perhaps a pre-production non-final specification. The UK brochure makes no mention of wireless phone charging and I've not heard of anyone in the UK receiving a car with wireless charging. The owner's manual only  shows the lower compartment as a possible location for the wireless charger (see page 368).

56 minutes ago, CPN said:

I would appreciate it if you were not so patronising thank you. I am not an idiot and do have a decent IQ level!

I'm sorry you had that impression. I was just pointing out that the Adventure Pack is still available but according to Toyota only includes mud flaps and mats. To say it is no longer available and included wireless charging is inaccurate.

Do take some photos if you go back. It sounds like a one off!

[IT Troll]

12 minutes ago, flash22 said:

Wireless AA must be new this year for MY22 on the cross, as it wasn't on the 21 that just had AC

MY22 hasn't been released yet for the Yaris Cross. MY21 does include Wireless Android Auto according to the manual. I've not tested though as I am an Apple user. From the Multimedia Manual (page 40):

Quote

To use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto wirelessly, ensure Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi® are turned ON on the phone.

Connecting to an Apple CarPlay device can be done using a wired or wireless connection.

Connecting to an Android Auto device can be done using a wired or wireless connection.

For wireless connection with Android Auto, additional requirements apply. For details, refer to g.co/androidauto/ requirements

 

[flash22]

Be wary of the manuals as these are universal for markets across Europe - yes i have been down this rabbit hole 😉

[IT Troll]

The 2021 UK brochure claims the same. Sadly, I'm not in a position to test.

[CPN]

1 hour ago, Cyker said:

The connection gets set up with normal (slow) Bluetooth, then it negotiates the wifi transport connection, and then that gets used for all the heavy lifting.

So when flash says Bluetooth doesn't have the bandwidth for AA/ACP this is technically correct, but it's also wrong as BT cheats and uses WiFi, and this is still considered Bluetooth, even tho' it's really WiFi  

 

1 hour ago, flash22 said:

Wireless AA must be new this year for MY22 on the cross, as it wasn't on the 21 that just had Wireless AC, As above wireless AA uses Bluetooth for calls and to establish a 5ghz direct Wi-Fi link, the app controls this and doesn't have to show the connection

edit. it's a mix of PAN and LAN/WAN/PPP eMBB

Ok, I can live with both of those explanations but I would have thought that under Android 12, there would at least be some indication in the wifi section of settings (on the phone - in the top bar) that some sort of LAN connectivity would be indicated whilst it was happening... I'll delve a bit closer next time...

[CPN]

1 hour ago, IT Troll said:

Here is my 9" Smart Connect system. It measures 9" on the diagonal. I see no mention of "Touch 2" during boot up, login or on any screen. References are however made to MyT and Smart Services.

I did exactly what you did there (even the tape measure looks almost identical!) but measured 10" where yours is showing 9"...

1 hour ago, IT Troll said:

Well I can't explain that. Other than if the tester is perhaps a pre-production non-final specification. The UK brochure makes no mention of wireless phone charging and I've not heard of anyone in the UK receiving a car with wireless charging. The owner's manual only  shows the lower compartment as a possible location for the wireless charger (see page 368).

As I said, next time I am at the dealer's, I'll take some photos of it. As in the OP, it is a Yaros Cross demo (emblazoned on its sides) that was built in July of 2021.

1 hour ago, IT Troll said:

I'm sorry you had that impression. I was just pointing out that the Adventure Pack is still available but according to Toyota only includes mud flaps and mats. To say it is no longer available and included wireless charging is inaccurate.

I am pretty sure that I didn't imply or say that the wireless charging was any part of the Adventure Pack. Just saying what the vehicle model actually was that's all...

(...in the demo car at the local dealer's which was an Excel Model with the "Adventure Pack" fitted (not available now).)

I was told by the salesman that the Adventure Pack was not available anymore but if that is incorrect, that is down to him and not me...

[IT Troll]

This bit made it sound like wireless charging is part of the Adventure Pack.

On 6/25/2022 at 1:09 PM, CPN said:

and the final bonus with this Adventure Pack was the wireless charging shelf just under the head unit.

I am intrigued about this demo car, with a 10" screen running some portion of Touch 2 and with a wireless charging shelf. Full production began in July for delivery in September, so this demonstrator must be an early production. It's a shame if they downgraded the spec for the real production. Bit misleading if the dealer is still presenting that as an example of what you would actually receive.

My local dealer's demonstrator (with the advertising stickers) was the Excel with the City Pack, which has the Touch 2 system with 8" screen.

[CPN]

53 minutes ago, IT Troll said:

Bit misleading if the dealer is still presenting that as an example of what you would actually receive.

Precisely the thoughts that I had...

[flash22]

Did the sales person not have a floating asterisk beside his head, or just the usual gormless look

[flash22]

Had a hunt around, no reference to the QI charger, so i assume it's part of the Tech pack

9" HD Toyota Smart Connect multimedia system with wireless Smartphone
integration incl Apple CarPlay & Android Auto™ & connected cloud Navigation

edit. had a look at the yaris that  no longer has the QI option

[CPN]

24 minutes ago, flash22 said:

Did the sales person not have a floating asterisk beside his head, or just the usual gormless look

You might say that, I couldn't possibly comment... 😉

[CPN]

5 minutes ago, flash22 said:

Had a hunt around, no reference to the QI charger, so i assume it's part of the Tech pack

9" HD Toyota Smart Connect multimedia system with wireless Smartphone
integration incl Apple CarPlay & Android Auto™ & connected cloud Navigation

That sounds like it...

[CPN]

One thing is for sure...

It is definitely an Excel because we checked out all of those features above...

 

[Baytree]

Hi @CPN, on the price list you can download today, the £28325 price refers to the MY23 Yaris Cross Excel, whereas the MY21 one says £28295. Maybe the newer one does have wireless charging. A lot of people with orders yet to be delivered would welcome that.