What will happen after Scion's death? Not much, as every model sold by the old brand will be absorbed into the Toyota family. The all-new iA and iM are no problem at all since the iM is technically a European Toyota anyway and the iA just needs new badges. It also gets a new name, since the old one would have been a constant reminder that Scion was killed. Say hello to the 2016 Toyota Yaris Sedan.
Considering that this is a subcompact sedan, naming it Yaris makes a lot of sense. Well, it doesn't actually make sense if you know that it's a Mazda2 underneath the badge and that the interior is 99% Mazda. Still, the Yaris sedan is better looking, more fun to drive and a lot more spacious than the Yaris hatchback, which may need to be discontinued soon.
Company insiders have told us the Toyota Yaris Sedan will make its US debut in April, but you can already buy one in Canada. The engine is the same 1.5-liter four-banger making a little more than 100 ponies while the 6-speed gearboxes also remain in place. The automatic models feature a locking torque converter and a Sport Mode that boosts torque.
Since Scion was in charge of the styling, the Yaris Sedan is ugly. We still don't understand why Mazda couldn't just sell the Mazda2 in America, but it may have something to do with the deal signed between the companies. The Yaris Sedan is superior in every way to subcompacts that Toyota has tried to make (Yaris, Scion xA and xD). Both the steering system and the manual gearbox echo the spirit of the MX-5 Miata. The ride is poised but still firm, though this is expected of a subcompact car.
The Yaris Sedan will still be the cheapest car you can get with forward collision warning and automatic braking systems. A reversing camera is also fitted and navigation is a cheap option. You can still expect to pay less than $16,000 for the standard manual and $1,100 more when an automatic is installed. It's cheap and cheerful, no matter what badge you put on it.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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