Hold on to your hats folks, because the all-new Yaris has been revealed and the big news is that Toyota will offer the supermini with a hybrid drivetrain!

The fourth-generation model - armed with a full suite of advanced safety technology - should be in showrooms by mid-2020 and it will be powered by a 1.0-litre and a new 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine mated to a CVT. Interestingly, Toyota says that the transmission (which isn’t everyone’s favourite due to the way it drones…) will get a mechanical first gear enabling the hatchback to accelerate more naturally.

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The hybrid variant will pair a unique variant of the 1.5-litre motor to a lithium-ion battery and an electric motor to improve fuel efficiency. It’ll initially move off from rest using the hybrid tech before the combustion engine kicks in. No power figures have been revealed for either drivetrains.

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The new gen Yaris - based on a derivative of Toyota’s new global architecture (TNGA) dubbed 'GA-B' - will also boast a plethora of tech and kit including an airbag between the front seat occupants, autonomous emergency braking, radar cruise control and speed sign recognition. In fact, Toyota’s full active safety feature suite will be available. The interior will feature a tablet-style infotainment screen while the digital speed display makes a return having been ditched back in 2011’s third-gen model.

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It sure is a looker too; the exterior boasts a bigger grille, muscular looking fenders and can be had in a two-tone paint scheme while its wheelbase is almost 2in longer and 1.6in shorter than the current model.  

Photo: Supplied