Under the hood of a 2012 Yaris

[Chuck G]

Originally Posted by Kal-El

Good post.



It cost a lot more than a $100M to redesign the Yaris. Only the powertrain and a few other components carry over. Otherwise, it's a completely new car including a different wheelbase (which changes everything). This isn't just a facelift. Developing a new car costs $1-$6 BILLION! The 2012 Yaris probably close to a billion.

Check out this article...http://translogic.aolautos.com/2010/...op-new-models/



Just remember that as long as the Yaris is built in Japan, it will never compete on content and price simultaneously. Notice that the only other sub-compact car built in Japan and sold in the US is the Fit and it's the most expensive model. A sport starts at $17K. A plain looking stripped model is over $15K. The only way to effectively load up a sub-compact and sell it at a bargain price is to build it in Korea or Mexico. Even building it in America is more doable than importing a Japan built one (as GM is doing with the new Spark).

The primary advantage of the Japanese built Yaris and Fit? Unmatched reliability/dependability. Pretty good reason for me.

Good post.