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Toyota Europe: We will export Yaris Hybrid to USA in 2013

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by spwolf, Sep 27, 2012.

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  1. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Like the choice of a Mitsubishi Eclipse, Plymouth Laser, or Eagle Talon?

    That's not fair. There is some difference between the Yaris and c. I don't see it generating any new hybrid sales for Toyota though. A person that decides against the c, or any car, really wasn't that committed to getting it to begin with.
     
    #21 Trollbait, Sep 28, 2012
  2. John H

    John H Senior Member

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    maybe they have a fleet customer, like zipcar.
     
    #22 John H, Sep 28, 2012
  3. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

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    Well I guess they should make only Prius though... from $20k to $40k and you satisfy 99% of the market and who decides against it, certainly didnt really want to buy it, right? :)

    More options means better sales... thats why Toyota sells 50+ models that are built on 4-5 similar platforms in Japan and gets +40% market share.

    I think some people will like how Yaris Hybrid is non-hybrid in exterior or interior. Instruments are in front of the driver and there is nothing "weird" about it. It is like any other car on the road. Same goes with exterior look - Yaris looks like a normal car.

    Next year you will have Corolla Hybrid... does that mean that Prius is irrelavant anymore with Corolla and Camry Hybrids?

    Of course, I am European, and for me it is completely normal that you should have choices in the car... our Yaris has 4 different engines and our Corolla has 6.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    #23 spwolf, Sep 28, 2012
  4. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    I see the Prius 'Brand' being the ecological, cutting edge technical, super mileage brand.

    A Scion hybrid would be aimed at youth, just as Lexus hybrids are aimed at wealth.

    A straight Toyota nameplate tends to mean decontented basic transportation. A Yaris hybrid ought to be a minimal transportation appliance with good gas mileage.

    Mind you, it is just my opinion.
     
    #24 JimboPalmer, Sep 28, 2012
  5. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    If price matches that, then I can see its value in the line up.
     
    #25 Trollbait, Sep 28, 2012
  6. lensovet

    lensovet former BP Brigade 207

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    But isn't that exactly the point? Corolla doesn't have 6 different engines in the US, and I would suspect that's NOT an accident. That's why it seems so out of place for Toyota to be actually doing this.
    It's possible that they will simply keep the Aqua restricted to Japan entirely. I could see that happening. But to keep both the c and Yaris makes no sense. After all, if choice is so great, why isn't Toyota planning to start selling the c in Europe? You guys seem to thrive on choice over there.
     
    #26 lensovet, Sep 29, 2012
  7. lensovet

    lensovet former BP Brigade 207

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    #27 lensovet, Sep 29, 2012
  8. Mister MMT

    Mister MMT Active Member

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    you could also read the following threads in which the similarities/differences between the Yaris Hybrid and the Prius C are highlighted. It contains links to good english language reviews.

    Yaris Hybrid Reviews | PriusChat
    Toyota's Yaris Hybrid introduced in Germany | PriusChat

    In Europe, the Yaris Hybrid has become a best-seller. One has to wait until 6 months before being delivered!

    Whereas the non-hybrid version also comes as a 2-door, the hybrid is always a 4-door!

    And it will soon get the company of the brand-new Auris Hybrid, just launched on the Paris Motor Show.

    2013 Auris Hybrid Liftback and Sports Tourer Hybrid | PriusChat

    Jan
     
    #28 Mister MMT, Sep 29, 2012
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  9. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

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    I read few days ago that in Germany, Yaris Hyrid sold 1100 in August, which made it best selling Toyota, by far :)... (i think 1600 Yarii were sold total!).

    Unfortunately, our prices here in Croatia are not at the level of ones in EU... we have to pay $9,000 more for Yaris Hybrid than for Yaris D4D, now tell me who would buy it for that price in your country?

    Maybe Toyota Croatia enters Toyota Europe group when we join EU in July, but I doubt it.
     
    #29 spwolf, Sep 29, 2012
  10. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

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    that is Yaris top level interior that will never see the light of great country that is USA.... Yaris Hybrid will look exactly like US version looks now, nothing will change... Car itself will be the same, just produced by different factory.

    I doubt that Toyota will start making leather interior Yaris for USA.
     
    #30 spwolf, Sep 29, 2012
  11. lensovet

    lensovet former BP Brigade 207

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    Hybrids in this country have never been base models. Camry hybrid looks nothing like the cheapest Camry.
     
    #31 lensovet, Sep 29, 2012
  12. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

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    Camry Hybrid has less equipment than Camry LE actually.

    And it is not about hybrid but rather Yaris - Toyota will not have $25k Yaris in USA. If they wanted to do that, they could have done it already.

    All of that equipment from Euro Yaris is already available in Japan, it is not like European factory is doing something brand new with Leather, digital air, Toyota Touch, Panoramic Roof, smart entry and what not... it is Toyota USA that chose not to have expensive Yaris.
     
    #32 spwolf, Sep 29, 2012
  13. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    They're going to sell it in the US as you already get the Yaris so it makes sense to give you a hybrid option. The reason for the change of mind is that the European car market is going down the toilet fast, so Toyota want a return on their investment in France.

    Was at my Toyota dealers the other day with the girlfriend and she loved the Yaris hybrid; thought it much nicer than the base version.

    Personally I think the new Auris looks good and that might sell in the US?
     
    #33 GrumpyCabbie, Sep 29, 2012
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  14. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

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    Huh. The US has some of the lowest tarrifs. Japan regularly engages in unfair trade practices, and this yaris hybrid is being built in europe because the EU has tariffs against japanese cars, just as the prius is produced in China because of the Chinese tarrifs. North America has much lower cost car manufacturing than Japan or the EU at this time. I don't see what retribution Japan would do, or what it is doing to France or China because of their tarrifs other than creating jobs there. Japan has now fallen to the US forth trading partner behind Mexico and China.

    This move is to help Toyota workers in France not American consumers.
    August 2012 Small, Midsize, And Large Car Sales In America - GOOD CAR BAD CAR
    Yaris is now behind prius c for the year despite availability issues for the prius c. Last month yaris sold less than half of prius c sales. I can't see yaris hybrids expanding on the prius c market share only shifting it. In europe it is different where the tarrifs have made toyota decide not to import the c and manufacture the yaris hybrid instead. These cars are going after the exact same segment.
     
    #34 austingreen, Sep 29, 2012
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  15. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

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    Auris wont sell in the USA - they dont have enough capacity right now to build it in UK, so there is that... plus it would be too expensive.

    They have new Corolla plant in US right now so they will build all Corolla's there.
     
    #35 spwolf, Sep 29, 2012
  16. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

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    Yes of course it has, thats because Free Trade Agreements help US the most. Hence WTO promotes world free trade, with the help of US.

    In this global world, you cant watch trade in black and white as before. Those imports/exports lists cant be seen as simply as before - for instance, most US and Japanese companies produce their goods in China and other Asian countries... but profits of that go back to USA.

    When Europe buys Chinese manufactured iPhones, profits go to Apple, not Chinese factory where average wage is $50-$200/month.

    Only non-banking, non-oil companies on top 20 most profitable companies in the world are from USA - Apple, Microsoft, Intel.

    Thus US putting some tarrifs on foreign goods is laughable idea.
     
    #36 spwolf, Sep 29, 2012
  17. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

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    I cant begin to comprehend the thinking behind this... are Ford sales helping Mexican workers? As their domestic parts content is pretty low these days... only 3 of their cars sold in USA have 75% of components made in USA. Focus is only 50% american made. A lot less than Corolla.
     
    #37 spwolf, Sep 29, 2012
  18. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    When people go shopping for clothes do they get "confused" by minor differences in styling? I don't think so...

    Since I posted I've been looking at Yaris and Prius C on the road and more and more it's clear to me that the C is bulky and ugly and the Yaris sleek and sexy.... Once I do paint mods, window tint, new wheels, lowering and ground effects, Yaris is gonna be a true gem among bulky-boxy hybrid clunkers. I also suspect Yaris will be lighter in general, but who knows once they put all the Hybrid stuff in?
     
    #38 PriusCamper, Sep 29, 2012
  19. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

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    So you are saying that the EU tariffs are not responsible for toyota manufacturing the yaris hybrid in france? You also don't think that a US tarrif would get toyota to produce a prius c in the US where costs are much lower than japan or france? That seems to be against what toyota has been doing lately. The Japanese transplants only happened because of threats of tarrifs. The Japanese do not have a level playing field and it may take trade action to bring about better behavior. Will a car tarrif hurt the US small car market? No, not at all today. If you look at the list I presented, all the top sellers are built in north america.


    I did my master's thesis on relocating manufacturing. Both the Chinese economy and the US economy benefit. Since I have also been inside Chinese factories, I know that apple could force improved working conditions, and that is bad on apple and foxconn. If anyone wants to boycott the iphone because of poor labor practices, I support them. Foxconn pays the average employee working on the iphone over $300/month which is good for local labor. The problems are the working and living conditions. To bring points back to the correct industry, it currently costs more to manufacture the same car in China than in america. Labor costs are only one input.

    I'm not sure what that has to do with this, but it is wrong. 7 of the top ten non-oil non-financial profitable comanies are US based multi-nationals
    Global 500 - Top Companies: Most Profitable - Fortune

    7 Apple (US)
    9 BHP Billiton (Materials) (Australia)
    10 Microsoft (US)
    11 Vale (Materials) (Brazil)
    13 VW (Germany)
    14 Ford (US)
    24 IBM (US)
    25 Walmart (US)
    26 GE (US)
    28 Intel (US)


    Yet EU tarrifs seem to be why a yaris hybrid is being built in France. Are you asking your governments to remove the tarrifs? In the US the bulk of the protectionist tarrifs are agricultural.
     
    #39 austingreen, Sep 29, 2012
  20. Mister MMT

    Mister MMT Active Member

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    #40 Mister MMT, Sep 30, 2012
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