Buyers are already voting with their feet. By the end of 2020, sales had halved. Toyota’s response is that – with Yaris adopting the Corolla’s TNGA platform technologies for dramatic advances between the third and fourth generations – price hikes are unavoidable.
From a COTY perspective, surely this would kill it on value grounds alone? Even a new Volkswagen Polo or Suzuki Swift cost $3K less. Time to dig a little deeper.
Yes, Yaris is now substantially more expensive. Adjusted for inflation, the Ascent Sport costs $3300 more than the then-new third-gen five-door equivalent did in 2011.
Yet, besides being usefully roomier, today’s model brings eight airbags (including a segment-first front-row centre SRS), AEB with pedestrian/cyclist detection, secondary collision braking, adaptive cruise, auto high beam, road-sign recognition, active lane-keep and cornering, a central touchscreen with reverse camera, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and digital radio. Specify a Polo accordingly and watch its pricing lead go poof!
This story is from the March 2021 edition of Wheels Australia Magazine.
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This story is from the March 2021 edition of Wheels Australia Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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