The Toyota Yaris is currently priced from Rs 9.16 lakh to Rs 14.60 lakh (ex-showroom), and is offered with a sole 1.5-litre four-cylinder NA petrol engine rated at 108 PS/140 Nm
Since its launch in the country back in May 2018, the Toyota Yaris has been an average performer in a segment that comprises of the hot-selling Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Honda City as well as Hyundai Verna. The Yaris has had a tough time competing against these rivals in a segment that is anyway not able to find a lot of takers because of the ever-growing trend of SUVs.
Now, it has been reported that Toyota Kirloskar Motor is studying the possibility of phasing out Yaris. Last year, the Japanese automaker had phased out three variants of the Yaris, including two manual trims and one CVT auto model. Sales of the Yaris have been going down for some time now, and the discontinuation of the car seems inevitable.
However, Toyota did not confirm anything related to this. “As a part of Toyota’s product strategy, our practice is to continuously study and evaluate the market to understand the ever-changing needs, customer preferences and trends. Beyond this, we won’t be able to share any specifics pertaining to our future business/product plans,” a Toyota Kirloskar Motor spokesperson said.
The Yaris is produced at Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s Bidadi plant, and the installed capacity of the plant is 2.1 lakh units a year. If Toyota plans to discontinue the Yaris, it certainly won’t be the first Toyota car to be discontinued in recent times. The adoption of BS6 emission norms resulted in the discontinuation of four Toyota offerings, namely Etios, Etios Liva, Etios Cross as well as Corolla Altis.
The Yaris is currently offered with a sole 1.5-litre petrol engine that belts out 108 PS peak power and 140 Nm max torque. The transmission duties are handled by either a 6-speed manual or a 7-step CVT automatic gearbox. Toyota retails the Yaris at a base price of Rs 9.16 lakh, which goes up to Rs 14.60 lakh (both prices, ex-showroom) for the top-end trim.
The Yaris is currently the most affordable Toyota sedan in India. Apart from the said car, Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s current portfolio consists of the Glanza, Urban Cruiser, Innova Crysta, Fortuner, Camry and the flagship Vellfire.