Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. confirmed today a new version of its Yaris subcompact car will be in U.S. dealerships “by the end of the year,” according to Don Esmond, senior vice president of automotive operations. The aged Yaris currently trails the segment’s best-sellers by a wide margin at a time when American consumers are indicating increased consideration for compact and subcompact cars.
Esmond didn’t say whether recovery from March’s large-scale earthquake and tsunami in Japan affected the Yaris’ U.S. launch timeline, but the disaster did cause Japanese automakers to delay some new-vehicle introductions. Toyota unveiled the next-generation Yaris – which is believed to use the same platform and engines but with new bodywork and a restyled interior – in Japan last December. That car, known as the Vitz in Japan, also is expected to include a hybrid-electric variant, although it’s not yet known whether Toyota would sell the hybrid Yaris in the U.S.
