Photo: Toyota
Maybe Toyota doesn't want to invest in diesel engines anymore, or maybe they don't want to have a Dieselgate scandal on their hands. But for whatever reason, the company has canceled the diesel options on the Yaris subcompact and Verso compact models. The decision is not surprising, especially since demand for hybrids jumped 20% in Europe last year.
Starting with the Yaris, the diesel cancellation has not yet been announced in a few countries, so you might still be able to order one in Germany. But in Spain or Britain, it's gasoline only.
The 2016 Yaris features slightly more tech than before and continues to be split between the 3- and 5-door body styles. You can have those with either a 1-liter making 70 hp or a 1.3-liter delivering 100 hp, the latter also being available as an automatic. Toyota's decision is a bold one, as diesel still accounts for about half of the market. However, in Spain, the Yaris Hybrid represented a 50% portion of the total sales for 2015, so people are clearly ready for something else.
So we are going to say goodbye to the 1.4 D-4D, but not before pointing out that the Yaris has more features now. As standard, all models get Toyota Safety Sense that warns you if you are about to crash into something or when you involuntarily change lanes. A new trim level called Feel! (or Style in some markets) has also been added and includes black accents, 16-inch bicolor alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, a piano black dash and special fabric. You can check it out in the gallery below.
The 2016 Verso only has new wheels and some interior tweaks. However, it too is available exclusively with petrol engines, which is ideal for those buyers who don't perform too many kilometers every year. In this case, the remaining flavors are the Verso 130 with a 1.6-liter delivering 132 PS or the Verso 140 with a 1.8-liter making 147 PS. Both are available with a CVT gearbox and consume an average of 6.6 liters per 100 kilometers. The bad news is that there isn't a hybrid alternative, but you can get the Yaris Touring Hybrid if you want space.
The 2016 Yaris features slightly more tech than before and continues to be split between the 3- and 5-door body styles. You can have those with either a 1-liter making 70 hp or a 1.3-liter delivering 100 hp, the latter also being available as an automatic. Toyota's decision is a bold one, as diesel still accounts for about half of the market. However, in Spain, the Yaris Hybrid represented a 50% portion of the total sales for 2015, so people are clearly ready for something else.
So we are going to say goodbye to the 1.4 D-4D, but not before pointing out that the Yaris has more features now. As standard, all models get Toyota Safety Sense that warns you if you are about to crash into something or when you involuntarily change lanes. A new trim level called Feel! (or Style in some markets) has also been added and includes black accents, 16-inch bicolor alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, a piano black dash and special fabric. You can check it out in the gallery below.
The 2016 Verso only has new wheels and some interior tweaks. However, it too is available exclusively with petrol engines, which is ideal for those buyers who don't perform too many kilometers every year. In this case, the remaining flavors are the Verso 130 with a 1.6-liter delivering 132 PS or the Verso 140 with a 1.8-liter making 147 PS. Both are available with a CVT gearbox and consume an average of 6.6 liters per 100 kilometers. The bad news is that there isn't a hybrid alternative, but you can get the Yaris Touring Hybrid if you want space.
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