RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – All future Toyota models will feature versions with some degree of electrification in Brazil. Currently, the company’s only models without hybrid versions are the Yaris, Yaris Sedan and Hilux.
The executive says that Brazil is ahead of the competition because it relies on flex hybrid technology in the Corolla and Corolla Cross models. “We need to use all this knowledge and distribution structure accumulated over so many years,” Inoue says.
The statement also signals that the manufacturer is considering launching a hybrid version of the Hilux. So far, there is no hybrid model in the medium pickup truck category.
END OF THE YARIS
The complete electrification of Toyota’s catalog may entail the end of production of a number of models. The Yaris will be discontinued in its hatch and sedan versions, and will not undergo a mid-life redesign, as Toyota intends to focus on more profitable models, such as the Corolla and Corolla Cross.
According to sources, the Japanese manufacturer does not intend to invest to redesign the model considered unprofitable, while other products are performing well. With the loss of the Yaris, the cheapest model in Toyota’s catalog will be the Corolla, which currently costs R$128,000 (US$22,700) in its most basic version.