The Toyota Yaris has a lot of solid qualities. It's reliable, it's spacious and it's cost efficient. What it isn't is particularly dynamic. The SR versions of the 1.3-litre petrol and 1.4-litre diesel go some way to rectifying that but don't mistake them for genuine hot hatches. They look meaner but performance remains modest.

It's hard to believe but we have joyriders to thank for the Toyota Yaris SR. Back in the late Eighties and early Nineties, a sudden spate of vehicle thefts led to spiralling insurance bills for the sort of GTi hot hatchbacks that had previously been massively popular. Almost overnight, the bottom fell out of the market, the typical twentysomethings who formed the target clientele suddenly unable or unwilling to foot the astronomic insurance quotes. From the wreckage of a once booming market grew the 'warm hatch', a superficially sporty looking hatchback powered by a decidedly modest engine. It had the styling to attract younger buyers and the insurance rating was friendly too.

The current Yaris SR doesn't deviate too far from that template. Toyota has also concentrated on not just making it look a little sportier but bumping up its value for money factor as well. As such, it's now one of the most appealing models in the Yaris line up.

There's an argument that the driving experience is possibly the least important factor for a warm hatch, the priorities instead being affordability and styling. On the face of it, a choice between an 86bhp petrol engine or an 89bhp diesel unit wouldn't raise my pulse much above tickover. Still, Toyota has done a little more than many manufacturers in endowing the Yaris SR with sports suspension which helps deflect the accusation that the car is completely all about cosmetics.

The 1.3-litre VVT-i feels surprisingly vivid during everyday driving and steps off the line very cleanly in city traffic. 0-60mph takes 11.5s but that's still slower than the 1.4-litre D-4D diesel's 10.7s. If you're planning on longer distance work, the diesel's more relaxed motorway cruising ability is well worth consideration. The difference between the two engines can best be highlighted by looking at their respective torque figures, which demonstrate pure muscle power. The 1.3-lite petrol fronts up with 121Nm of torque while the diesel aces it with 190Nm. Both have a broadly similar top speed but for sheer overtaking ability, the diesel is the best choice. Where the petrol engine scores is in its light weight which gives the Yaris real agility when turning into and driving through a tight corner.

"Toyota has judged the specification of this model very adroitly.."

If Toyota's objective was to create a Yaris model that looked a good deal peppier than the standard car, you'd have to say that mission has been accomplished. So many warm hatches try to get the job done with just window dressing, the designers not realising that the car's overall stance is so important in creating a dynamic look. The Yaris' lowered suspension allows the 16-inch alloys to really fill the arches nicely. Look at a Peugeot 207 Sport and you'll see where the French car comes up short, there being a fair degree of fresh air between the top of the tyre and the wheel arch. A rear roof spoiler and chrome exhaust tip complete the look.

Available in both three and five door guises, the SR mirrors the rest of the Yaris range in offering way better quality than its rather reedy predecessor. The double-sealed doors feel thicker and weightier and shut with a thunk rather than a clang. The rather unconventional fascia looks removed from the supermini norm, with a central 3D effect on the main display. More conservative buyers may find it a bit Buck Rogers but it's certainly distinctive, even if the centrally mounted readout is tricky to extract information from at a glance.

Prices depend on whether you choose the diesel or the petrol engine and whether you opt for three doors or five. Add to that the choice of the standard five-speed manual or for £500 extra, the MultiMode automatic 'box and you have some pondering to do. Prices start at £11,045 for a manual 1.3-litre SR with manual gearbox. The equivalent car with a diesel engine is another £1,000 extra. The 1.3-litre SR five-door with manual shift is £11,545 with the diesel again tacking a grand to that price. As well as the lowered suspension, spoiler and 16-inch alloys, the SR's interior gets some extras. There are front scuff plates, a brushed alloy gearknob for manual cars and an integrated yet removable TomTom satellite navigation unit.

This unit represents a first in this sector and it's very smartly finished, the controls housed in double-DIN bay in the dashboard from which the screen can pop out, easily fitting in the palm of your hand. This saves leaving tell-tale suction marks on your windscreen which act as a magnet for thieves. On top of this, the Yaris SR also gets anti lock brakes with brakeforce distribution, remote central locking, power steering, air conditioning, clever sliding rear seats, a CD stereo and electric front windows.

Neither SR model is going to break the bank in terms of ongoing running costs. Choose the 1.3-litre petrol model and you have a car which will return 47mpg on the combined cycle and emit 141g/km of carbon dioxide. Those looking to make even more infrequent visits to refuel will prefer the diesel car which ekes 63 miles from one gallon of heavy oil and which crucially dips below 120g/km of carbon dioxide emissions, giving it cheap vehicle excise duty and freeing it from the congestion charge into Central London.

Toyota has a reputation for reliability that other marques would kill for and the Yaris has followed on where its predecessor left off with sterling performances in all manner of customer satisfaction surveys. The car's good name has also helped it become a desirable used acquisition and that can't do residual values any harm. With insurance rated at Group 5, the Yaris SR becomes a viable proposition for younger drivers or those who have a chequered driving history and need a car that looks smart but which is cheap to cover.

A warm hatch is pretty much a rite of passage for the nation's car-obsessed youth. While such vehicles might seem about as appetising to older buyers as spending Saturday evening in a car park, getting a doner from the van and comparing bass bins, it's undeniable that the target market knows its products and will recognise the Yaris SR as an interesting addition to the genre. Whether it'll ever have the aftermarket support to match the Vauxhall Corsa SXi, the current must-have motor amongst teens and twenties, remains to be seen.

Toyota has judged the specification of this model very adroitly. It doesn't look over the top yet has a more focused stance on the road than lesser Yaris models. The satellite navigation system is a real plus in this sector and could well make the difference when customers come to choose between models. Even if you aren't a pimply teen, the Yaris SR becomes probably the most appealing car in the range.

TOP 5 YARIS DEALS

The results below show the top YARIS deals on buyacar

	Toyota Yaris 1.4 D-4D SR Nav 3dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £1,028	Price £11,012
	Toyota Yaris 1.3 VVT-i SR Nav 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £964	Price £10,576
	Toyota Yaris 1.4 D-4D SR Nav 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £1,083	Price £11,457
	Toyota Yaris 1.3 VVT-i SR Nav 3dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £909	Price £10,131
	Toyota Yaris 1.3 VVT-i SR Nav 3dr MMT Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £964	Price £10,576