TRDFantasy

Wow that hybrid teaser image looks very nice! Well done Toyota, it looks very elegant and clean, especially for this class .

I really HOPE that North America gets this Yaris hybrid.

jruhi4

I would be VERY surprised if we did. It's my understanding that the Yaris Hybrid is a Europe-only deal. Japan might not get it, either.

The upcoming Prius c is expected to fill the Yaris Hybrid role here in North America.

TRDFantasy

So then Europe does not get the Prius c? This is interesting, I wonder how this will work.

jruhi4

From reading rumors, articles, informed speculation and whatnot, here's my understanding of what will happen:

EUROPE: One of the British websites (I think Autocar but I'm not 100% sure) reported that importing Prius c from Japan would be a money-losing proposition when they have its Yaris platform-mate built in France and hybrid powertrain-building expertise in England.

NORTH AMERICA: On the flip side of that mentality, until they start building the Yaris in Mexico (not confirmed, just a strong gut feeling) and that small vehicle is imported from Japan anyway, may as well get the Prius c here instead. The badge is worth a price premium over the Yaris which sells in lower numbers here than the Prius and has a "cheap" connotation.

JAPAN: Curiously, the Japanese Car Design Journal blog quotes 3rd-generation Vitz Chief Engineer Yamamoto Hirobumi as stating that there won’t be a hybrid version available. (see http://jp-cardesigncorner.blogspot.c...on-of-new.html ), which, if accurate, means that Japan will follow the likeliest North America strategy, and Yaris hybrid would be a Europe-only deal.

spwolf

I am sure Europe will get both Prius C and Yaris Hybrid... European market is accomodating towards large number of vehicle options.

Just like we get both Auris (Corolla) Hybrid and Prius...

jruhi4

I hope you're right. It certainly wouldn't be the first time a car magazine gets their info wrong...

SLegacy99

Sub $20k Yaris hybrid would be great.

TRDFantasy

That would be interesting if Europe got both the Prius c and Yaris hybrid.

speedflex

Can't possibly get excited over this but looks like a nice evolution of the little guy.

joshthorsc

Thumbs up! Much better w/o the center gauges.

spwolf

it is not easy to be toyota dealer in europe.... numbers represent number of engine/transmission choices.

Aygo - 3
iQ - 5
Yaris - 6
Verso-S - 4
Auris - 6
Auris Hybrid
Corolla - 6
Urban Cruiser - 3
Verso - 7
Prius
Prius+
Avensis - 13
Avensis Wagon - 13
Rav4 - 7
LandCruiser 150 - 3
LandCruiser 200 - 2
HiLux - 3
HiAce - 8 but nobody cares


now imagine having all of that with market share 4%... how the heck you put half of these cars in the showroom? Because today most people wont buy it without trying it.

And now in Europe you also have 2-5 trim choices + factory choices for each car.

TRDFantasy

Does the European market demand that many engine and transmission choices to be competitive? Don't some of these Toyota models potentially cannibalize sales from each other? Or does having a variety of similar smaller models make sense in Europe?

jruhi4

Unlike North America, where manual transmissions are an endangered species and diesels are a fringe/niche thing, both options are prevalent throughout the European Toyota lines, and the 2.2-liter diesel, off the top of my head, comes in low-output and high-output variants for certain models (RAV4 and Avensis)

spwolf

yep... and it is obviously not working out too well for toyota, they have quite few vehicles selling ok, but none selling gangbusters anymore.

TRDFantasy

So do you think Toyota should make their European lineup more simple and straightforward?