Yaris it is!
Toyota is all set to bring the Yaris to our shores; will go up against the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Honda City and Hyundai Verna
AFTER YEARS OF SPECULATION, Toyota finally unveiled their Honda City-rival, the Yaris sedan a day prior to the Auto Expo.
The Yaris, once commercially launched in April (when price will be revealed), will mark Toyota’s entry into the lucrative C-segment space that is populated with strong contenders such as Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and Hyundai Verna.
The Yaris comes loaded to the gills, boasting of 12 first-in-segment features. As for the name, Toyota has said that the Yaris’ popularity in Europe contributed to them deciding to call it the same in India as well (and not the Vios, the name plate it carries in South East Asia). In India, the sedan will be powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine with VVT mated to a CVT or a 6-speed manual. There are no plans for a diesel as of now since the Yaris doesn't have a suitable powerplant that is also BS VI compliant, while the 1.4-litre diesel in the Etios will be too underpowered.
On the styling front, it features a distinct front end, with the side-swept headlights and the positioning of the LED DRLs below the projector headlamps and LED taillights. The Yaris rides on 15-inch wheels, with the focus clearly on ride quality.
On the inside, the cabin is airy and the car gets roof mounted AC vents for the rear seat passengers, a segment first that works really well. It also gets adjustable illumination. The absence of a transmission tunnel means a flat floorboard thereby making seating for three-abreast quite easy. Toyota has done a lot of work to make the cabin more comfortable and quiet, like providing acoustic and vibration control glass for the windshield and doors to eliminate noise from outside, leather upholstery with perforations, centre armrest with cup holders, rear sunshade, power outlets at the rear for charging devices, adjustable headrests at the front and back, power seat for the driver and a push-button start. The car also gets a 4.2-inch TFT screen in the instrument binnacle while a touchscreen infotainment system is placed in the centre console.
In terms of safety and features, the Yaris is equipped with 7 air bags, ABS with EBD, tyre pressure monitoring system, vehicle stability assist, hill start assist, front and rear parking sensors, rear camera, ISOFIX child restraint system and an impact sensing door unlock. While the Yaris is already on sale internationally, Toyota had to put in work on a number of fronts to bring the car to India, including matching the competition, feature for feature and adhering to new safety and emission norms that will kick-in in 2020.