Toyota will launch a cheap, super-economical Yaris hybrid hatch in Australia, which will also see the end of the Prius coupe.
REMEMBER WHEN THE Prius was the most fuel-efficient Toyota you could buy? In fact, it was one of the most fuel-efficient cars any maker produced.
The Yaris Hybrid changes that, entering the lineup this year and replacing the Prius C as it arrives. The new-generation Yaris will also bring normal petrol models, and later on, the bonkers Yaris GR hot hatch.
Underpinning the model is the Toyota new Global Architecture (TNGA), which enables the implementation of hybrid drivelines easily – as we’ve seen with the Corolla, Camry and Rav4 already – and a leap in technology and driveability.
As Toyota vice president of marketing, Sean Hanley says: “The all-new Toyota Yaris is a marked step up from the current car in every respect and will deliver the outstanding fuel efficiency and advanced safety technology that our customers demand. It will also offer a substantially more engaging drive, superb comfort and refinement and the sort of contemporary styling to make it truly stand out in the crowd.”
The Yaris Hybrid will arrive in May, powered by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine with electric motor and CVT transmission. It delivers a claimed combined fuel consumption of just 3.3L per 100km, 0.1L lower than the Prius, and 0.6L more efficient than the Prius C – first launched here in 2012.
The rest of the range will feature front-wheel driven 1.5-litre petrols, and pricing will likely remain similar to the current model which starts at a little over $15,000, meaning the Yaris Hybrid could be the most affordable hybrid on the market when it launches.
Bolstering the vehicle’s credentials will be ‘the most advanced pre-collision safety system in the Toyota range,’ and adaptive cruise control. Full specifications and pricing details are yet to be announced.
After the Yaris launches from May, we will then wait for the recently revealed Yaris GR, which will arrive as one of the most anticipated hot hatches this year. And making the most of its new Yaris, there will also be an SUV variant revealed later in 2020.
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When a base Yaris 2019 model auto, costs $17990 on the road, I really doubt the 2020 Yaris hybrid will cost less than $20,000 on the road