According to Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota NA, quoted in Automotive News May 20 Toyota will 'borrow' the Mazda2 as the platform for the new Yaris, beginning with about 50,000 in 2015. Having driven and prepped a Mazda2 for the B racers in SCCA, that will be step up for the Prius C if Toyota makes the Prius C to match.. Let's see, if Toyota added a sport Prius C model with about 150 hp they just might out-Honda Honda; call it the Prius CSi. Ok so it only gets 40 mpg but that, troops, is way out in front of the B class sports sedans. The waiting line starts now.
I wonder if this has anything to do with Toyotas past relationships with Ford... since the Mazda 2 is build on the same platform as the Ford Fiesta... This would make the C a smaller car... which I didn't think was possible.
The Mazda 2 and Yaris have nearly identical inside and outside dimensions. The automotive press has raved about the handling and driving qualities of the Mazda 2; the Yaris/PriusC? Not so much. I would wait for this alleged hybrid Mazda 2, but not till 2015. Mahout, do you have a link to the story? I can't Google hide nor hair of it.
Not much to the story, and no suggestion that the Mazda will be used as a basis for a new Prius c: What was the thinking behind borrowing the Mazda2 to make the next Yaris? To be competitive in that B-car segment, cost plays a major role. When we had a very strong yen, it became problematic for us bringing vehicles made in Japan. We don't produce a B-platform car in North America. It made the most sense to find a partner to be able to do that. Mazda was planning a large operation in Mexico. We helped Mazda get more volume to help offset their overall cost position, and for us to be able to get a great product for North America at a lower cost than bringing it in from Japan. We'll bring in about 50,000 vehicles starting in summer 2015. Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/20130520/OEM02/305209986#ixzz2UXXnNm00
ftl, thanks for the link. Most likely the Mazda 2 will be rebadged as a Toyota and the Yaris dropped. We probably won't see the Mazda 2 hybridized. sigh....
You might say that they were... *puts on sunglasses* driven to it. YEEAAAHHHHHHHH!!!! I'll just grab my coat on my way out. -Steve
The informationcomes from the CEO iof USD Toyota speech and reported in Automotive News this week's issue. I can't link you to my copy of AN but you can try AutoNews.com The car supplied to Toyota is scheduled, as of now, to still be Toyota Yaris. I'm hoping thre Yamaha troops, who have always been Toyota engine techs, will have a hot rod Yaris coupe version with 150 hp IC engine with the hybrid and the sedan the usual Prius C combination yielding 100 hp.
I've driven the Mazda 2 and found it dull (I've had Mazdas for 22 years and enjoyed them all - including my 1990 323 hatchback). I also don't get why the reviewers liked the 2.
Did you not see my post #4 above, which has the text and the link? It's quite clear from there that there will *not* be a Prius version of the Mazda2.
I would be very very surprised if Toyota keeps the Mazda name... people think Quality when they hear Toyota. Mazda is good, but not as good as Toyota.
