Saar: Makes up for quite a match for the sporty versions of the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Volkswagen Vento and the Skoda Rapid

During the 2018 Auto Expo, Toyota unveiled the sedan that will lock horns with the Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Volkswagen Vento, Hyundai Verna and the Skoda Rapid. Called the Yaris, it looks like a typical Toyota product. While it is slated to launch during the second quarter of 2018 in India, Toyota showcased a sporty version of the Yaris at the 2018 Bangkok  Auto Show. It is tagged simply as the Yaris TRD  (Toyota Racing Development). Okay, the back of the car actually reads Yaris ATIV TRD but in India, Toyota will not bring the ATIV nomenclature with the Yaris.

Thanks to the guys at paultan.org, we can see what the Yaris TRD looks like. The front and rear bumper are different and seem like the engineers at Toyota just couldn’t stop designing them. The bottom lips of both the bumpers have been garnished with red paint to further accentuate that so-called “sporty” feel. There’s also a spoiler on the boot lid which, in our opinion, looks like a misfit somehow. The side profiles of the sensible sedan have decals running through the bottom half of the doors and the side skirts make those wheels look a tad small for a car this size.

Unfortunately, there are no images of the interior. But we can speculate that the cabin will be engulfed in black and red colour combination. If Toyota decides to bring the Yaris TRD to India, which we surely hope that it does, mechanically it will remain unaltered. The standard Yaris, once launched, will house a 1.5-litre petrol engine which will be offered with a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed CVT (continuously variable transmission). Interestingly, Toyota will not have a diesel-powered Yaris in India and that’s because Indians are shying away from products with diesel engines. Bookings for the Toyota Yaris will begin in April and we’ll surely let you know when that happens.