This week, it was reported that Toyota’s Yaris nameplate, including Yaris, Vitz, Yaris Cross and GR Yaris, has reached 10 million worldwide sales, joining Toyota’s other eight-figure achievers such as Corolla, Camry, RAV4, Hilux and Land Cruiser. The first generation Yaris was the first Toyota model built in a brand new plant in France and also the first to be named European Car of the Year in 2000, with the Japanese Vitz variant winning Japan Car of the Year. The Yaris was again named European Car of the Year in 2021. The third generation was the first B-segment model to offer a full hybrid electric powertrain, and the current fourth generation UK range is all hybrid. This line was expanded to include the GR Yaris performance version in 2020 and the Yaris Cross urban crossover SUV in 2021.
From the launch of the original model in 1999 to the end of February 2023, cumulative sales of Yaris family models in Europe had reached 5,155,506, including 715,845 sold in the UK. In 2022, Yaris accounted for a third of Toyota’s total European sales and 8% of the market segment. In the UK, the proportions for the hybrid hatchback were even greater at 21.7% and 10%, respectively. Initial production started in January 1989 at the Takaoka plant in Japan and has since expanded to Brazil, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand, France, and the Czech Republic. Toyota Motor Manufacturing France has produced Yaris since 2001 and Yaris Cross since 2021, the same year that Toyota Motor Manufacturing Czech Republic launched additional production to meet increasing demand.
Regarding the ongoing rise of the Yaris, the now two-year-young model has become even more popular, especially in Europe. Last year, Yaris sales crossed the 165,000 cars mark (EU-EFTA-UK), which was more than double the number delivered in China. Thus, Yaris has become one of Toyota’s global top sellers, and one of the keys to understanding how Toyota Motor Europe became such a force in recent years is knowing that it doesn’t just rely on the Yaris. The Yaris Cross is rising fast, the Corolla continues to be a great success, while C-HR and RAV4 deliveries were also strong in 2022 and continue to be so in 2023.
However, despite Yaris’ popularity, we may be witnessing the end of the entry-level car. The number of small, entry-level cars has been on the decline in Europe, yet demand will always remain, and profit is the reason for their disappearance. Producing A-segment hatchbacks leads to limited profit margins for manufacturers, and the tight margins are being further squeezed by EU legislation covering the latest safety and emissions standards.
In other automotive news, Israeli start-up OVO Automotive has developed a first-of-a-kind system that allows app streaming inside the car, instead of direct installation, allowing companies and fleet managers to access various apps without the need to install anything onto the infotainment system in the car. Finally, it’s been almost two years since Skoda began deliveries of its first E-crossover, the Enyaq iV. So is it now a mainstream model? The answer is uncertain at present, but China continues to be a source of woe for the company.
