2012 Toyota Yaris: Up Close at Lollapalooza
Generally, we don’t get up close with a new model before it is officially announced. But thanks to marketing miracles, we bring you the first look at the 2012 Toyota Yaris from the rock spectacle known as Lollapalooza 2011.
The three-day festival in Chicago’s Grant Park is a perfect target market for Toyota. That’s probably why the brand wanted to get the redesigned Yaris in front of those eyeballs ahead of the media.
Fortunately, Cars.com editor Joe Bruzek is attending Lollapalooza this weekend, and on his day off he filed a full report, including information from spec sheets being handed out to interested concert-goers.
According to the sheet, for the LE model on display, the Yaris comes equipped with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, like the current model. It says 2012 mileage with an automatic is expected to be 30/35 mpg city/highway compared with the 2011’s 29/35 mpg. The manual will get 30/38 mpg versus the 2011's 29/36 mpg.
The four-door hatchback on display also comes with air conditioning, tilt steering wheel with audio controls, power windows with auto-down on the driver’s side, CD stereo with USB input and iPod capability, Bluetooth phone connectivity and audio streaming, 15-inch steel wheels, and nine airbags. There will be a base L trim level, LE and top of the line SE.
Bruzek noted that the proportions of the car seem a little "off" with the dominant front end overwhelming an otherwise very small car. He also approved of Toyota ridding the Yaris of the center-mounted gauge cluster. It now resides in front of the steering wheel as is typical. And while there may be some traditional traits, Bruzek thought the design is much more interesting than the previous Yaris and is more Scion-like. The interior materials are softer to the touch he says and a big improvement.
The Yaris will go on sale in early September/late October. We'll have much more information on pricing, trim levels and equipment later this month.
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The front is very Venza/Sienna, and I'm not sure if it translates well to a subcompact. The interior may be better, but I think we can all agree that compared to the previous generation, it couldnt have gotten much worse...at least the Fit and Versa attempted. Finally, this car is still lacing some features that competitiors from Kia, Hyundai, Ford and even Chevy have. If the powertrain is really carryover like I have been hearing from other places (and the mpg is pretty indicative of that), then Toyota is going to love the mpg wars as well as the hp wars. the current Yaris is pretty poky, and a four-speed auto is certainly not going to help that. this car needs a powertrain update to stay competitive. also...no telescoping steering wheel? really?
so let me get this straight, toyota usa *removed* the touch screen entertainment ("toyota touch") and nav feature, no available automatic climate control, no panoramic sunroof, no push button start....
and they expect me to buy that?
Yeah--35mpg highway for a subcompact? A Sonata gets that much.
@ Rockaby,
I believe that there was a posting on cars.com as to why B-segment vehicles have same or even worse mpg (on paper) than C-segment. In short: aerodynamics.
A few thgs u do need to be aware though - due to our appetite for hp, most auto manufacturers opt for the largest displacement/most powerful engines and use the same engines for BOTH their B/C segment vehicles. Another thg is that the mpg listings are just "estimates" for new vehicles. They're based on lab tests, not real world situations. Thus, although a Yaris may have the same/similar mpg rating as to a Corolla, or its competitors like Accent or Elantra, it's much likely that the Yaris can actually (over)achieve the listed mpg in real world driving, whereas the other ones may fall short.
Please
AR has a fan! Adorable :)
At least the upcoming Yaris looks more aggressive than the current one.
It is nice that Toyota is trying to improve the exterior design and try to eliminate the blandness of their cars in the last decade.
The interior does not look very nice in pictures. I hope that it is better than it looks.
No power sunroof availability?
Aw, man...
I hope Toyota does offer one.
Peace!<-AladdinSane-
AR,
Yes I'm aware that it's harder for small cars to achieve great highway fuel economy, so I'll try it again in a way that pleases you:
35mpg?! That's pretty much the bottom of the segment, and this car hasn't even come out yet!
Rockaby,
you are fighting for nothing. This car will average somewhere in the 33mpg. You've mentioned Sonata. Sonata average will be around 28mpg (most people reporting this). So here we go. The difference between Sonata and Yaris. In the city Yaris will be much better then Sonata.
Overpriced... Underpowered.. Ugly... Why do people like toyotas?
The Yaris is on record as the most trouble-free car on the market according to Consumer Reports, yet it was always overlooked--probably in no small part due to its looks and slightly cheap interior. Hopefully the sharper looks and softer interior materials will finally make this car a hit.
The 2012 Yaris has nothing to beat my 2007 Carolla. My Carolla get 30 city and 36 hwy and with automatic and cruise. Mty wife's 2007 Yaris gets 29 City and 34 hwy. It seems that the Yaris needs to get 40 hwy and 34 City to get my attention and needs to have cruise,I am not loosing the cruise control. Also should not be any more than $14,000 for the LE Hatchback in Automatic. Will cruise be available? Will Yaris improve on gas mileage? and with the price be low enough t intice me to buy? All good questions. Any good replies?
Was wondering about the new redisigned Nissan Versa Hatchback for 2013. Can you varify it? Also what does the Gas Mileage look like? And the expected MSRP? Can you varify automatic with cruise control? What date is expected for the redesigned hatchback release?
Lastly, Why does Volkswagen in general have such high MSRP and very low gas mileage compared to Toyota, Nissan, Hyundia and KIA?. It does not compete? The prices are shocking and gas mileage disgraceful. Any news on improvements? Thanks.
Lastly, Why does Volkswagen in general have such high MSRP and very low gas mileage compared to Toyota, Nissan, Hyundia and KIA?. It does not compete? The prices are shocking and gas mileage disgraceful. Any news on improvements? Thanks.
The car has potential...
Imagine it w/ a TRD turbo kit, oversized tires, & a lower roofline.
The yaris does much better than 35 on the highway after having rent the car drive a constant pace easily in the high 40's
Just wondering why the US version of the Yaris gets 30-38mpg while the UK version gets 52-58mpg and they both have nearly the same specs.