August subcompact sales WAY up (not the Yaris, though)

[Lewis]

I think it boils to the fact the Corolla is built over here and therefore has much more profit in it for Toyota than the Yaris which is priced in Yen being built in Japan. So it's natural for Toyota to try to push people up a bit into a basic Corolla which is the model they're cranking out in volume in North America.

Toyota needs a presence in the A segment in the US (which they probably mistakenly see as a niche market) which the Yaris provides but until they're forced to build them in the North America by the sinking dollar (making it totally uneconomic to import them), the supply of Yarii will be limited, unpromoted and restricted as to equipment all of which pushes most Toyota buyers to the Corolla and generic A class buyers to other brands.

I can envision a Yaris model equipped with a tachometer, rear anti sway bar, and the power and convenience package, the new vehicle stablity system w/traction control, ABS and all the air bags (why not give us the knee bags you give Europeans!) priced say at 15-16K that would be very competitive but I bet Toyota would worry it would eat into much more profitable Corolla sales while making very little for the corporation.

With the new Fiesta on the way expect even fewer Yarii on dealers lots I'm afraid.