Toyota has unveiled two new Yaris special editions. Yaris Edition and Yaris Trend both are now available to order in three and five-door bodystyles, and come with extra styling features. Prices start from £11,695 for the Yaris Edition and £13,795 for the Yaris Trend.
Yaris Edition is available with the 68bhp 1.0 litre VVT-i petrol engine mated to five-speed manual. The Trend uses 98bhp 1.33 litre petrol engine with five-speed manual or the optional Multidrive S CVT on the five-door.
Toyota has just made its 200 millionth vehicle, 77 years after its first, a Toyota G1 truck appeared in 1935, followed by its first car, the AA in 1936.
Toyota grew out of the Toyoda Loom Works. The “d” was replaced by a “t” because it was felt to be more auspicious in the Japanese language – and one cannot say they were wrong. Toyoda had started as licensees of British loom manufacturers, but the company developed the world’s most advanced automatic looms – and put a lot of its British competitors out of business.
Competition is hotting up for the eco-warriors’ car of choice, with Toyota claiming that its new Prius Plug-in delivers better value for money than its key rival, the Vauxhall Ampera.
Toyota says that the Prius Plug-In, which is one of a new generation of extended-range hybrids, offers a higher specification than the Ampera, plus more seats on board and a potential saving of almost £2,000 on costs over three years/60,000 miles, thanks to its greater range and quicker battery charging time.
