There's no two ways about it, the Toyota Yaris has got people talking. Finally, here's a Toyota that can take the fight to the Honda City and the Hyundai Verna, and unsurprisingly, sedan buyers are already adding it to their shortlists. However, if you happen to be one of them and are willing to wait for a diesel-engined Yaris, don't, for it may not happen at all.
The Yaris was unveiled at Auto Expo 2018 with a 1.5-litre, 108hp, four-cylinder petrol engine. At the reveal, Toyota officials chose to stay tight-lipped on the prospect of there being a diesel Yaris in the future as they face the same quandary as other carmakers – launching new products before the new BS-VI emission norms kick in.
Just in: Toyota Yaris complete variant and feature list
That aside, Toyota maintains that customers in the segment are, increasingly, preferring petrols over diesels, and the overall share of the diesel variant in total sales may be far too small to justify the additional investment. It is more likely that Toyota may opt to introduce a hybrid version of the Yaris, but even that will likely be some time away.
The Yaris will be offered with the option of a six-speed manual or a seven-speed (step) CVT, and will also feature some segment-firsts, such as a powered driver's seat and front parking sensors, among others. Toyota's City fighter is expected to be priced between Rs 8.4 - 13.5 lakh when it is launched in the month of May.
Uday Singh
Dipan Sur
Glenn Noronha
Viraaj Bhatnagar
