While the current Toyota Yaris can’t hide mid-1990s roots defined by rounded body and baby face, there’s another car of almost the same class in the Toyota range that has proved to be a great success – though only in Asia: the Toyota IST.
Insiders suggest it is being considered as a mid-life entrant until a complete makeover of Yaris in 2008/2009. It’s also based on the chassis used by the European Yaris, so Toyota will not need to radically change the underpinnings.
Toyota Europe is working with an IST prototype version (pictured testing in Germany) and has even given some to component suppliers. The IST is also some 20 cms longer than the Yaris, something customers had demanded for a long time anyway.