It is official! Toyota Kirloskar Motor has discontinued the Yaris. Launched in 2018, the Yaris was Toyota’s answer to the Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and the Hyundai Verna. But, battered by slow sales, Toyota’s sensible sedan just never found the traction as its peers. The absence of a diesel-fed powertrain played a critical role in its lacklustre performance. In more than three years, Toyota couldn’t even sell 20,000 units of the car in question.

Toyota offered the Yaris with a 1.5-litre petrol engine that pumped out 106bhp/140Nm. The powerplant came coupled with a 6-speed manual as standard. The other transmission option was a 7-Step CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). Besides offering a two-pedal setup, the latter could also provide better fuel efficiency – 17.8kmpl vs 17.1kmpl for MT.

So, what happens to the existing Yaris customers? Firstly, they don’t need to worry. Being a Toyota, the Yaris should continue running without any hiccup, provided it is looked after properly. And secondly, the carmaker has confirmed that spare parts availability will not be affected for a minimum of ten years. That’s probably enough for most owners out there.

If Yaris is gone, does that mean Toyota won’t have a City/Verna rival? Not necessarily. Remember, the brand is in a partnership with Suzuki. Courtesy of that, Toyota could introduce rebadged versions of the Baleno (Glanza) and the Vitara Brezza (Urban Cruiser). So, to get a product in the same void left by the Yaris, Toyota could and probably would do a similar trick with the Ciaz. Yes, a slightly tweaked (in design) and renamed version of the sedan could soon find space in Toyota India’s portfolio.

As things stand, Toyota has two sub-Rs 10 lakh products – the Glanza and the Urban Cruiser. While they do bring some volumes, the brand mainly relies on the Fortuner and the Innova Crysta. The only other models it retails are the Camry and the Vellfire, both strong hybrids.