Does the Yaris Cross AWD have AWD when in reverse gear?

[Janwal]

Hoping someone can help me with what might seem a silly query for a friend who wants to order a Yaris Cross AWD. He is having trouble finding out if the AWD also works in reverse gear as well as forwards drive.  He has to reverse up a short steep drive to park up. If it’s icy because the front wheels are still on an icy footpath in front of the drive a front wheel drive only car struggles to gain grip and car slips sideways into a low wall. He has asked at dealers and emailed Toyota UK but not getting any response. Dealers certainly don’t seem to know the answer,It’s a deal breaker for him so hope someone can help.

Thanks.

[TonyHSD]

That’s a good question.
I don’t know for sure but there is a logic to work in reverse too. How much of a help will be in slippery conditions or situations like you have described it’s another question. Best to research how good the system is in forward first and then you can make your thoughts about in reverse. YouTube has plenty of videos and perhaps some rav4 awd owners can  share some experience as these cars are more popular in awd variants. 

[MikeSh]

5 hours ago, Janwal said:

It’s a deal breaker for him

Has he told the dealer or Toyota UK this?

If not then do so.

If/when yes and they still can't help then find a car model and manufacturer/dealer that can provide the assurance he needs - in writing, because it needs to be enforceable.

(When I interact with companies that can't provide technical information that I need to make a purchase decision on their products I go elsewhere. If they don't know it really doesn't bode well.)

[RobertR]

Considering, the FWD cars with engines in front have pretty good traction during reversing, my guess is back motor is not working during reversing.

[anchorman]

I’ll hopefully investigate soon.  

[forkingabout]

It wouldn't be that difficult for the dealer to drive a suitable demo vehicle round to the service department, ask for the vehicle wheels to be lifted clear of the floor then stick it in reverse & see if all 4 wheels drive backwards when requested.

[IT Troll]

Good question, I can’t say I have noticed it, but then I tend to be looking at the rear view when reversing. I did find a review of a 2019 Prius with a similar setup and that did engage the rear motor when reversing below 16 mph.

[TonyHSD]

Prius awd system always use its rear electric motor for the first move off the line and perhaps it might be the same case in reverse, where Yaris X awd uses rear motor only when needed ( slip been detected), which may suggest in normal driving conditions it will start off the line with fwd and engage the rear motor if any of the front wheels has slipped. 

[IT Troll]

2 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

where Yaris X awd uses rear motor only when needed ( slip been detected)

I find it frequently engages the rear motor when initially pulling away, even in good conditions. I can assure you I'm not spinning the wheels. It will almost always engage when starting on an incline so must be detecting potential rollback or has a tilt sensor. AWD will engage many times during a journey, I've only ever seen the slip indicator once.

[TonyHSD]

40 minutes ago, IT Troll said:

I find it frequently engages the rear motor when initially pulling away, even in good conditions. I can assure you I'm not spinning the wheels. It will almost always engage when starting on an incline so must be detecting potential rollback or has a tilt sensor. AWD will engage many times during a journey, I've only ever seen the slip indicator once.

That’s good to know. Thank you. You maybe can try in reverse wherever is safe and see if the dash shows torque been delivered to the rear wheels. It seems the Yaris awd e is smarter than Prius and it’s kind of a hybrid one that often split torque in between both axles. 👍

[Yugguy1970]

Why not just buy some deicing salt and clear the footpath?  

Noone helps themselves these days.  

At the end of my street, to get off it to the main road, you have to turn uphill on a blind corner and visibility is crap so you can't do it at speed, it has to be from standstill.

When I had my RWD Merc I would get stuck in the snow as it couldn't get traction up the hill from standstill.

So I got my shovel and cleared it away.

[anchorman]

2 hours ago, Yugguy1970 said:

Why not just buy some deicing salt and clear the footpath?  

Noone helps themselves these days.  

At the end of my street, to get off it to the main road, you have to turn uphill on a blind corner and visibility is crap so you can't do it at speed, it has to be from standstill.

When I had my RWD Merc I would get stuck in the snow as it couldn't get traction up the hill from standstill.

So I got my shovel and cleared it away.

I've driven several miles in deep snow to get to work in the middle of the night.  You can come and dig for me because I’m not doing it no matter what tradition I’m breaking.  If AWD and all season tyres won’t hack it, I’ll go back to bed.

[Cyker]

Hmm, sounds like we need to get you one of these!  

 

 

I hear it's a bit of a pain to find a parking space for tho', and the fuel economy is sliiiightly worse than the Yaris...   

 

[Rhymes with Paris]

Is it a hybrid?

[flash22]

The Cross is 4 wheel drive, standard engine and hybrid setup in the front and a electric motor in in the rear, it's fully automated iirc it isn't a selectable 4wd

£32k is a lot of money, Rav4 is a highly stolen car at the moment so that rules that out tbh

[MikeSh]

3 hours ago, Rhymes with Paris said:

Is it a hybrid?

I'd just say it's parentage was somewhat varied ...

[Rhymes with Paris]

35 minutes ago, MikeSh said:

I'd just say it's parentage was somewhat varied ...

As would be the parentage of it's buyers if purchased for use in the the frozen wastelands of the UK.

Perhaps the more flamboyant of car buyers in the UK , especially of Landover unreliability,could consider adopting a lower profile, and not drawing attention to the fact that they are a massive Richard.

[philip42h]

On 1/3/2023 at 8:11 PM, Janwal said:

Hoping someone can help me with what might seem a silly query for a friend who wants to order a Yaris Cross AWD. He is having trouble finding out if the AWD also works in reverse gear as well as forwards drive.

If the design has any similarity to that of the RAV4 hybrid AWD then yes it will ...

When pulling away from rest, the car will run both front and rear electric motors. Revere is achieved by turning the electric motors in reverse. There is no reverse gear as such so no means by which the petrol engine can drive the car in reverse. But it will be AWD in reverse ...

[MikeSh]

7 hours ago, Cyker said:

I hear it's a bit of a pain to find a parking space for tho', and the fuel economy is sliiiightly worse than the Yaris...

So ... the perfect Chelsea tractor.