Just like the all-new Honda Jazz (which Malaysia is missing out), Singapore is set to be the first market in ASEAN to get the all-new 2021 Toyota Yaris Cross this week.

Borneo Motors, the official distributor of Toyota vehicles on the island, has set up an inquiry page on its website. The Yaris Cross will be unveiled virtually via Facebook on Thursday, 14-January 2021 at 8.30 pm.

It is still unclear what are the variants on offer for the Singaporean-spec Yaris Cross. In Japan, the Yaris Cross is offered with two powertrain options, a 1.5-litre Dynamic Force petrol engine (120 PS/145 Nm) or a 1.5-litre Dynamic Force petrol-hybrid engine (116 PS/141 Nm).

The Japanese Yaris Cross is also available with either a front-wheel drive or a four-wheel drive layout.

Despite the name, this Yaris Cross is built on a completely different platform from the Yaris that’s sold here. The Yaris Cross shares the same TNGA-B platform as the Japanese-, Australian-, and European-spec Yaris.

Looking far more than a jacked-up Yaris, the Yaris Cross has a very distinct amount of plastic cladding all over. It has a look that makes it more of a mini–Toyota RAV4.

Dimensions-wise, the Yaris Cross is quite compact in size, even compared with the likes of the Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V. It slots below the Toyota C-HR but displays a more conventional design than the funky C-HR.

In terms of features, the Singaporean-spec Yaris Cross could be equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support as well as the Toyota Safety Sense ADAS suite as standard. The ADAS suite comes with the following functions:

• Pre-collision Safety System
• Low Speed Acceleration Control
• Emergency Steering Assist
• Full Speed Range Radar Cruise Control
• Lane Tracing Assist (LTA)
• Adaptive High-beam System (AHS)
• Road Sign Assist (RSA)

When it arrives in our southern neighbour on Thursday, the Yaris Cross would be Toyota’s smallest crossover in their line-up. As Singaporeans are moving into crossovers and shying away from the traditional sedans or hatchbacks, the Yaris Cross could potentially sell well.

In Singapore, the Yaris Cross is expected to compete against compact crossover rivals like the Kia Stonic and the Volkswagen T-Cross. Prices would most likely be announced during the virtual launch on Thursday.

Parallel importers in Singapore listed the Yaris Cross to start from SGD 86,888 (RM 264,225), so expect official prices to cost a little bit more than what is offered in the grey market.