Toyota updates the Mazda-based Yaris sedan, and drops the “iA” name in the process
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the 2019 Toyota Yaris sedan. It’s making an appearance at this year’s New York Auto Show, and it definitely wants you to know it’s a Toyota. How? While the car doesn’t look substantially different from the current model – and it isn’t, really – there are two distinct changes afoot here. One is the omission of the “iA” badge. Before the Scion brand’s demise in 2016, this car was known simply as the iA. When the brand went away, the iM hatchback, iA sedan, and FR-S sports coupe were folded into Toyota’s lineup.
Now, here we are, and the last remnants of the cars’ Scion past are being expelled from the new models. The 2019 Corolla hatchback drops the “iM” name, and the Yaris loses its “iA” nomenclature. This car’s always had a bit of an identity dilemma, as apart from the face, it’s essentially a rebadged Mazda2. Now, Mazda doesn’t sell the 2 in our market – we get the CX-3 instead – and this car was the alternative. The Yaris sedan uses a 1.5-liter, 106 horsepower Mazda engine, and the interior is nearly identical to the Mazda2, apart from the badge on the steering wheel. A manual six-speed manual transmission comes standard, while you can opt for a six-speed automatic. Fuel economy figures stand at 32 City/40 Highway/35 Combined MPG for the automatic.
There’s a bit more Toyota-ness going on, thanks to new trim levels
However, Toyota’s also added trim levels to the Yaris sedan, to bring the car in line with the rest of the brand’s lineup. While there was only one version of the old Yaris iA, now you get three trim levels. From the base L, there’s now the LE and XLE trims too. The XLE trim, in particular, adds leatherette interior trim for a bit of ambience. The Yaris sedan uses the MazdaConnect infotainment system, rather than Toyota’s own Entune setup, and that 7.0-inch touchscreen is standard across the range. Unfortunately, you don’t get Apple CarPlay or Android Auto support. On top of the standard infotainment offering, the Yaris sedan also offers a standard low-speed pre-collision system.
The 2019 Toyota Yaris sedan will go on sale in fall 2018. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but we expect to find out more closer to the car’s launch. Stay tuned to TFLcar.com for more updates!
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