Toyota Philippines has quietly dropped the Toyota Yaris from its local lineup of vehicles. Its official website reflects the same as the model is no longer available even on the price list page. While Toyota has been refreshing and adding new models to its local lineup, the Japanese automaker has also had to trim its offerings.
Signs that the Yaris was on the way out showed when the Japanese brand started trimming down the hatchback's variant offerings, leaving only two remaining. From there, it was downhill for the Toyota hatchback as it had no stellar sales figures compared to the more beloved Toyota Vios.
It also didn’t help that the Yaris sold locally was an older model. The hatchback did get a facelift in Thailand, which gave it a unique look and a few more features, but unfortunately, it didn’t make its way to the local market. Regardless, it was a sign of things to come, as Toyota Philippines didn’t bother to bring in the updated vehicle.
While the automaker has yet to release an official statement about dropping the hatchback, the market trends toward crossovers may have a hand to play in its removal. The hatchback wasn’t as popular as its sedan counterpart, the Toyota Vios, which has become a local best-seller for the automaker.
However, if you are still looking to buy a hatchback, you can look at the Toyota Wigo as another option, albeit with less power and fewer features. But at least you will get the latest generation of the hatchback, which is still a top-sell in the brand’s local lineup. If you can afford it, the Toyota GR Yaris is another option but a bit pricier; however, stocks for the car are limited so expect to pay a heavy premium on it.
Still, other brands offer hatchbacks, such as Honda with the City hatchback along with Suzuki and the Swift and Celerio.