Though they share platforms and powertrains, the Yaris liftback and sedan were developed under different chief engineers and design teams, providing the entry-level buyer with two distinctive choices in a small, economical subcompact. Toyota is one of the few automakers that can afford such luxury of manpower, and it was put to good use in the Yaris project.

The liftback was designed around the theme of "powerful simplicity," but our first impression was that it's cute as the proverbial bug. With its wedgy profile, large front halogen headlamp clusters, creased hood lines and "T-grille," it has all the character that its predecessor, the unloved Echo, never possessed. Virtually every exterior element is body-colored, but the Yaris avoids looking like a featureless blob due to strategic placement of black trim around the base of the A-pillar, on the B-pillar, on the two strips that run the length of the roof, the front grilles and foglamp surrounds at the base of the windshield.

The rear hatch opens down to the bumper line and raises just high enough to allow a six-foot-tall person to stand under it. Like everything else about the Yaris, the hatch's function feels just right. Opening of the hatch is well damped by two struts, and closing it takes no more than a gentle downward push.

The Yaris sedan's theme is "Simple is Cool," which is based on the Japanese art of flower arranging, where unnecessary decoration is shunned in place of a single, simple design. Its long, stretched cabin, arched beltline and short overhangs give it sporty proportions, and the multi-reflector halogen headlamps lend it a premium look. Longer and wider and riding on a much longer wheelbase than the Echo sedan it replaces, the Yaris sedan has proportions that work together to create a sportier car.

Despite their distinctive styling, both the sedan and liftback share a 0.29 coefficient of drag, excellent numbers that help quiet the ride and increase fuel economy at cruising speeds.