Designed by a new European team and being built at the all-new Valenciennes plant in northern France, it is little wonder that the attention-grabbing Yaris (the sub-compact replacement for the once popular Starlet) looked more like a Renault Clio than a Renault Clio did. Gallic national pride ensures that French motorcars sell strongly on home ground. French-built equivalents were sure to possess almost as much appeal…which Toyota hoped would be the case.
The car was an immediate hit. As Toyota was now employing hundreds of French workers at its Nord Pas-de-Calais factory, local registrations sky-rocketed. With its Daihatsu-inspired (Toyota owns Daihatsu) petrol engines and the option of a two-pedal-manual transmission, the zesty little Yaris captivated both heads and hearts on mainland Europe, while being close enough to Blighty to ensure that we had a near instant stock availability.
Through a couple of generations since, the Yaris has grown into a perfect Fiesta rival and also offers the added kudos of a much-loved petrol-electric hybrid version. Therefore, it is fitting that Toyota pays tribute to the original Yaris, by introducing a new Y20 grade to its 2019 model range. It marks the 20th anniversary of its successful B-segment car appearing for the first time at the Paris exposition. Yaris has become established firmly as Toyota’s best-selling model in Europe.
The revised and lightly upgraded Yaris range is being revealed for the first time at the Paris Motor Show on 2nd October and will launch with an initial production run of 1,998 Launch Edition Y20 models. Each will feature gold paintwork, similar to that used by the first Yaris back in 1998, but with the contemporary twist of a bi-tone dark grey roof.
They will be followed by full-production Y20 models that will sit at the heart of the 2019 Yaris model range, offering a strong value proposition for customers. It will also feature a bi-tone finish, matching silver, white, or black bodywork colours with a dark grey roof. The exterior styling uses further dark grey features to distinguish the Y20 within the Yaris line-up, which include, 16.0-inch diameter grey and machined-face 10-spoke alloy wheels, with grey side mouldings, front grille, door mirror casings and fog light surrounds (with chrome detailing). The Y20 also sports dark-tinted rear privacy glass and special Y20 badging at the rear.
The interior extends the dark grey theme, applied to the centre console, steering wheel inserts and new chequer-pattern fabric upholstery, all updated versions of the original model’s standout features. Satin chrome air vents, audio speaker and meter surrounds and gear knob trim, black carpet mats with silver edging and Y20 badging on the instrument panel and front seatbacks further enhance the quality feel of the interior. Happy Birthday Yaris!
