Toyota Yaris- Here vs There

Indus Motor Company (IMC) launched the Yaris subcompact sedan in Pakistan replacing the entry-level Corolla variants. This is the first the company is offering a local assembled sedan other than Corolla ever since it started rolling out the first locally assembled Corolla sedan in Pakistan in May 1993. With Yaris now on offer, the Corolla will cater to 1.6L & 1.8L segments with only Altis variants available.

Related: Official 2020 Toyota Yaris Brochure is Out

The launch ceremony of Yaris was postponed due to coronavirus lockdowns; furthermore the bookings which were opened on the 19^th of March against 100% advance payment were also halted by various dealerships due to the plant shutdown amid COVID-19 pandemic. There is no news regarding when the production will resume which has put a question mark on Yaris deliveries as well. This was unfortunate on part of IMC since the launch of a much awaited car was washed out due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Yaris is offered in 3 grades and two engine & transmission options– making it 6 trims in total. The base 1.3L GLi, the 1.3L Ativ and the flagship 1.5L AtivX each available with manual as well as CVT gearbox options. The Toyota Yaris variants in Pakistan are priced as:

This generation of Yaris sedan and the use of Ativ moniker were first seen in Thailand back in August 2017 with the debut of Yaris Ativ sedan which was based on the 3^rd generation XP150 model. Later in 2018, the car made its debut in India while in some ASEAN markets it was sold under the name of Vios. In Thailand however, the Yaris Ativ was positioned below the Vios which is sold in parallel with a 1.5L engine.

Yaris Ativ in Thailand

The Yaris Ativ sedan for Thai market came equipped with a powerful yet smaller & fuel efficient 1.2 liter engine to comply with Thailand’s Eco Car regulations. The 3NR-FE unit under the hood made 86hp and 108Nm as opposed to the two decades old 2NZ-FE engine with 84 hp that used to propel the 1254 kg 11^th gen Corolla 1.3L here in Pakistan. Bear in mind the Yaris is approximately 150kg lighter than the Corolla we have here.

Related: Up-Close with the All New 2020 Honda City

The Yaris Ativ got huge success in Thailand with more than 31,000 units sold out within the first year averaging 2,580+ units a month. It was also awarded with a full 5-star ASEAN NCAP crash test rating in 2018.

Toyota has recently upgraded the 2020 Yaris Ativ sedan in Thailand with better features while making it more fuel efficient to meet country’s stringent Eco Car-2 regulations. Under the bonnet, the 1.2-liter 3NR-FE was upgraded to 3NR-FXE which has electrically operated dual variable-valve timing producing 92hp of power and 109Nm of torque while meeting the Euro-VI emission standards.

Features include but not limited to projector headlamps with follow-me-home feature, LED DRLs, rain sensing wipers, power/ retract side mirrors with integrated turn signals, leather seats, electrically adjustable driver seat with height adjuster, auto air-conditioning with climate control, anti-trap power windows, 4.2” TFT multi-info display, eco features, smart entry with push button start/ stop, remote key, central locking, 6.7” touchscreen multimedia unit with Bluetooh/ Apple CarPlay, 6 speakers & multi-function steering wheel to name a few.

Related: History: Toyota Yaris All Generations

In terms of safety the 2020 Yaris Ativ in Thailand gets 7 Airbags (front/side/curtain/driver knee), ABS with EBD & BA, Traction Control (TRC), Hill-Start Assist (HSA), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Dual Front WIL Seat (Whiplash Injury Lessening), Front 3-point ELR Seatbelts with Reminder & Auto Pull Back, Rear Seatbelts, Engine Immobilizer with Theft Deterrent System (TDS), Tire Pressure & Repair Kit, Reversing Camera with 360^o monitoring & Built-in Dash Cam etc.

The 2020 Yaris Ativ GT

When pitted against the flagship Yaris AtivX in Pakistan, we can see a lot of features that haven’t made it to the local versions here. Below is a comparison between both the top-spec variants, only distinguishing features have been highlighted, those not mentioned are supposed to be the same.

E&OE

While the local Yaris AtivX when compared to its flagship counterpart in Thailand misses a lot of features, it comes a little cheaper here as well.

Yaris in India

While the Thai-spec Yaris has a 1.2 liter engine to comply with regulations over there, the Indian version gets the same 2NR-FE 1.5 liter engine we have here; however it has been recently upgraded to meet the stringent BS-VI (Euro-VI) emission standards in India.

Related: Toyota Pushing Hard the Not-So-Successful Yaris in India

Available in 14 trims, the highlights of Toyota Yaris’ features list in India include projector headlamps, 15-inch alloy wheels, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, navigation and gesture control, 8-way power adjustable driver seat, key-less entry, electrically adjustable outside mirrors, roof-mounted rear AC vents with ambient illumination, 60:40 split rear seats and adjustable rear center headrest.

Safety features on offer include 7 airbags and ABS with EBD and BA as standard across all grades. Top-end trims also get two front parking sensors, four rear parking sensors, reverse camera, VSC, HAC, TPMS and all-wheel disc brakes. However even after all this, the Yaris was unable to create any problems for its rivals in the segment whatsoever and remained at the bottom of sales chart with some dismal sales figures.

Below is a comparison between our top-spec Yaris AtivX with the flagship Yaris VX variant in India, only distinguishing features have been highlighted, those not mentioned are assumed to be same:

E&OE

It is evident that the flagship Yaris AtivX here misses out tons of features available in other markets, however keeping that in view it costs a little lower too. However when we compare the base variants, they come a lot cheaper abroad while offering bunch of more features compared to locally available versions.

Toyota Yaris in India

The base Yaris J variant in India is priced from INR 8.76 lac (PKR 19.38 lac) and it comes with features including projector headlamps, shark fin antenna, driver seat height adjuster, power outside mirrors, rear parking sensors, high speed alert system, 7 airbags & alloy wheels etc all of which are unavailable with base variants here.

The difference however is, in India as well as Thailand the Yaris faces stiff competition against not less than 5 similar vehicles in the segment including Suzuki Ciaz, Honda City, Nissan Versa, Hyundai Verna and Skoda Rapid. In Pakistan however the only competitor against the Yaris is the 12 year old 5^th gen Honda City that doesn’t even come with a single airbag in its entire range.

Related: Can Yaris Fit in the Shoes of Toyota Corolla

From the looks of it, with the absence of competition, the Yaris might well be able to sweep sales. However we will have to wait to see when the production resumes at IMC’s plant and how the public feedback & performance of the vehicle is once the deliveries commence. Furthermore, the segment will see an addition in the form of 1.3L Proton Saga which is likely to be introduced towards the second half of this year.

What is your opinion regarding Toyota Yaris, its features and pricing in Pakistan. Let us know with your comments.

UsmanAnsari

A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com