The all-new Toyota Yaris - Driving dynamics 27.07.2020: DRIVING DYNAMICS First application of the Toyota New Global Architecture GA-B platform, bringing fundamental benefits in handling, stability and ride comfort Body rigidity increased by 37% Lower centre of gravity and improved

DRIVING DYNAMICS



    First application of the Toyota New Global Architecture GA-B platform, bringing fundamental benefits in handling, stability and ride comfort


    Body rigidity increased by 37%


    Lower centre of gravity and improved weight balance contribute to better handling and stability


    Driving dynamics ensure agile around-town performance and driving pleasure on the open road





New GA-B platform



The new Yaris’ GA-B platform is the backbone of its dynamic quality, engineered to give a confident and natural drive. The car’s stability inspires confidence, while its response to the driver’s inputs is natural and precise, communicating a heightened sense of agility.



The combination of the car’s compact, low and wide dimensions, the quality of the GA-B platform and the performance of the fourth-generation hybrid powertrain gives the car an essential fun-to-drive quality that strengthens its emotional appeal.



Around town, it offers agile handling, with a best-in-class 4.9 m turning circle and crisp steering response making it considerably easier to manoeuvre and park on busy urban streets, while on the highway or open road, performance is smooth and relaxing with excellent straight-line stability.



“I wanted to transform Yaris’ driving dynamics, delivering what we call a confident and natural drive,” said Chief Engineer Suezawa. “That’s one that is smooth, accurate and agile, contributing to the fun of driving. It is the TNGA chassis that has made all this possible.”



The GA-B platform will be used for all Toyota’s future small cars, including its new B-SUV model.

 




High-rigidity body




The high-rigidity body contributes to higher safety levels (detailed in the Safety chapter below) superior chassis handling and responsiveness, ride comfort, and lower noise and vibration levels.



The new Yaris’ GA-B platform – including both chassis and drivetrain – delivers a 37% increase in torsional rigidity, taking it to a best-in-segment level. This has been achieved through a series of body reinforcements, a stiffer dash panel and more extensive use of spot welds and bonding adhesive in the car’s construction.



The car’s longitudinal beams are connected to the bumper reinforcements, and in the front suspension the top of the shock absorber serves as the upper steering pivot. Further rigidity has been gained from a new ring structure in the dash/cowl area, while in the middle section of the car there are reinforcements to the tunnel and rear structure, creating another robust ring structure.



At the rear, gussets have been added to the wheelhouse floor panel, with reinforcements to the wheelhouse and rear pillar again forming a ring structure.

 




Low centre of gravity



As in all TNGA-based models, the new Yaris has a low centre of gravity – around 12 mm lower than the current model – giving the car better inertia characteristics and making it feel more stable when cornering at speed. This reduction has been achieved by moving heavier components closer to the centre of the car, and setting them lower, starting with the roofline and including the engine and the seats.



As well as a lower centre of gravity, the car has an improved weight balance, both front/rear and left/right, which helps reduce body roll and improve braking stability and stopping distances.

 



Suspension



The suspension design is critical to a car’s driving dynamics. One of the most significant applications of the TNGA philosophy is to ensure that each new model benefits from the optimum set-up.



The Yaris has an all-new arrangement, with the front MacPherson struts set at a revised angle, operating with reduced friction. The top of the shock absorbers now serves as the upper steering pivot, while the change in suspension angle has allowed for better alignment of the shock absorbers and springs, resulting in less vibration.



The rear torsion beam has been made 80% stiffer and the rear roll stiffness has been increased more than 80%, reducing body roll when cornering and improving the car’s all-round agility. The increase in suspension stiffness has allowed for softer springs to be used. Together with the car’s improved front/rear chassis balance, this improves ride comfort.

 




Reduced noise and vibration



The GA-B platform brings further benefits in terms of reduced noise and vibration levels, making for quieter and more refined environment on board.



The platform architecture and the upper body are designed to reduce the amount of noise entering the cabin. The engineers pinpointed the areas where most noise intrudes – the dashboard and floor panels – and adjusted their design to filter out external noise.



Extensive body sealing, which also contributes the car’s rigidity, further helps keep noise away from the cabin.

 



- Stephan Lesuisse - photos Toyota