Production Dates

[carguy420]

I have a strong gut feeling that the 2020 Yaris rumored to debut at the upcoming NY Auto Show will be nothing more than the current Mazda2 hatchback with a Toyota pug (or catfish) nose grafted on and sourced from the same Mexican Mazda plant as the current Yaris sedan.

My guess is that the Euro/Japanese TNGA-B Yaris will debut at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

Will Southeast Asia get the same Euro/Japanese TNGA-B Yaris? The design of the current Southeast Asian Yaris is rather ugly IMO and I feel like it's built to a lower standard just to keep cost down.

 

[spwolf]

Will Southeast Asia get the same Euro/Japanese TNGA-B Yaris? The design of the current Southeast Asian Yaris is rather ugly IMO and I feel like it's built to a lower standard just to keep cost down.

I expect difference to be bigger next gen, if they do it right.

Or do you think that SE Asia is ready for 30k Yaris midspec?

 

[Joaquin Ruhi]

Will Southeast Asia get the same Euro/Japanese TNGA-B Yaris?

That's an excellent question, and one I've asked myself more than once. I don't know for certain one way or the other, but the current worldwide Camry and Corolla convergence might point towards a "yes".

Camry went from a dual narrow body for Japan/wide body for export strategy in the 1990s and into the 21st century to a dual "prestige" Camry for Asia (outside Japan) and "regular" Camry for Japan and non-Asian markets. Oceania (Australia/New Zealand) offered both, with Aurion badging for the "prestige" Camry. All of that gave way to the current single worldwide TNGA-K XV70 Camry launched in 2017.

Corolla echoed the dual narrow body for Japan/wide body for export strategy from 2006 until their consolidation under the 12th-gen (E210) TNGA-C Corolla launched last year. Here, though, the need for differentiation between Chinese FAW and GAC versions of the Corolla Sedan (the latter using Levin badging) leads to distinct "Prestige" (primarily for Europe and FAW Corolla) and "Sporty" (primarily for Japan, North America and GAC Levin) versions of the sedan, with other markets allowed to "pick-and-choose" which version to offer.

The design of the current Southeast Asian Yaris is rather ugly IMO and I feel like it's built to a lower standard just to keep cost down.

I expect difference to be bigger next gen, if they do it right.

Or do you think that SE Asia is ready for 30k Yaris midspec?

You both make valid pro-and-con arguments as to how closely (or not) Southeast Asia and Latin America Yaris will hew to the Euro/Japan TNGA-B Yaris. The key questions: Is TNGA-B Yaris flexible enough to work for both Western Europe and Japan (with higher quality and content demands) and Third World markets currently served by the simpler and cheaper XP150 Yaris/Vios? Are cost and efficiency gains from TNGA methods high enough to allow for a single basic TNGA-B Yaris to effectively replace both the XP130 Euro Yaris/Vitz and XP150 Yaris/Vios?

 

[carguy420]

I expect difference to be bigger next gen, if they do it right.

Or do you think that SE Asia is ready for 30k Yaris midspec?

Well Mazda and Honda don't have 2 different kinds of B-segment cars to satisfy customers from different parts of the world, the Mazda 2 and the Honda Jazz/City sell really well here and most of the ones that are sold are at least mid spec models and then the high spec models. So why not Toyota do the same thing?

Also you said 30k but in what currency?

 

[Bluesuprarcf52]

So 2021 model year for Toyota. All new Sienna, Tundra, Land cruiser, and Miria. New cuv to battle against passport and murano.
For Lexus 2021 model year. All new Nx, Lx, Is, and Lq rwd cuv.
That’s my speculation. Hopefully more products come out.

 

[Joaquin Ruhi]

So 2021 model year for Toyota. All new Sienna, Tundra, Land Cruiser

Correct.

Mirai

I'm not sure what to think here. Yes, the current Mirai was launched for the 2015 model year, so a conventional 6-year cycle would put a 2nd-gen launch at the 2021 model year. But Mirai sales volumes are so low, and we have yet to see even a facelift to the current one, that I think it may continue as is beyond the 2021 MY. Then again, Toyota plans to make a huge splash insofar as future technology and mobility in conjunction with its sponsorship of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. That could include the unveiling of a Mirai successor.

New CUV to battle against Passport and Murano.

All we have to go on here is sheer speculation and a couple of clues. One is the U.S. trademark registration of Harrier, which I wrote about for Kaizen Factor in August 2018. The current JDM Harrier was introduced in December 2013. Thus, its successor could be launched for the 2020 or 2021 model year.

But what if a Harrier for North America has nothing to do with the Japanese version? It's possible that we might be looking at the North American Yaris-as-rebadged Mazda2 template for inspiration instead. The joint Toyota/Mazda U.S. assembly plant in Huntsville, Alabama will build "a yet-to-be-revealed Mazda crossover", widely rumored to be a return of the CX-7 badge. A recent stray comment on Just-Auto suggests that there will also be a Toyota-badged version of said crossover. Could that be the North American Harrier? If so, the Huntsville plant isn't scheduled to start production until calendar year 2021 (2022 model year).

BTW, Mazda will be hosting a press conference on Wednesday 17 April at the New York Auto Show. Might it be for a concept predictor for the revived, U.S.-built CX-7 crossover?

For Lexus 2021 model year. All new NX, LX, IS, and LQ rwd CUV.

Correct.

That’s my speculation. Hopefully more products come out.

You want even more?! For a carmaker to launch at least 7 new-generation models in a given model year is a huge deal, verging on overkill. If we see anything beyond that, it would be new variants of existing models, such as a TRD Corolla.

 

[Gecko]

But what if a Harrier for North America has nothing to do with the Japanese version? It's possible that we might be looking at the North American Yaris-as-rebadged Mazda2 template for inspiration instead. The joint Toyota/Mazda U.S. assembly plant in Huntsville, Alabama will build "a yet-to-be-revealed Mazda crossover", widely rumored to be a return of the CX-7 badge. A recent stray comment on Just-Auto suggests that there will also be a Toyota-badged version of said crossover. Could that be the North American Harrier? If so, the Huntsville plant isn't scheduled to start production until calendar year 2021 (2022 model year).

BTW, Mazda will be hosting a press conference on Wednesday 17 April at the New York Auto Show. Might it be for a concept predictor for the revived, U.S.-built CX-7 crossover?

I wonder exactly what to think of that Huntsville plant. Mazda said they'll build a "to be announced" crossover, and Toyota quoted building the Corolla there. It seems strange to build two products, from two different OEMs, at the same plant - with no relation to each other.

https://whnt.com/2018/11/16/mazda-t...ound-on-1-6-billion-auto-plant-in-huntsville/

 

[Joaquin Ruhi]

I wonder exactly what to think of that Huntsville plant. Mazda said they'll build a "to be announced" crossover, and Toyota quoted building the Corolla there. It seems strange to build two products, from two different OEMs, at the same plant - with no relation to each other.

It wouldn't be the first time two Japanese carmakers did that. Think back to the late 1980s and SIA (no, not the singer, but Subaru-Isuzu Automotive). That Lafayette, Indiana factory built the Subaru Legacy and Isuzu P'Up pickup truck, two products even more disparate than the Toyota Corolla and a rumored future Mazda CX-7. When Isuzu left the North American light vehicle market, Toyota brought in some Camry production (again, zero commonality with Subaru Legacy and Outback) until Subaru ultimately took full control of the plant as Subaru of Indiana Automotive.

With the disintegration of the Ford/Mazda alliance and the latter building its last American Mazda6 on August 2012, I personally think that Mazda, more than Toyota, is the prime beneficiary of the Huntsville, Alabama plant. It gives Mazda an affordable way to be "politically correct" in the Trump era and return to U.S. manufacture. And remember that there is some cross-ownership between Toyota and Mazda (Toyota owns 5% of Mazda and Mazda owns 0.25% of Toyota).

 

[Joaquin Ruhi]

I have a strong gut feeling that the 2020 Yaris rumored to debut at the upcoming NY Auto Show will be nothing more than the current Mazda2 hatchback with a Toyota pug (or catfish) nose grafted on and sourced from the same Mexican Mazda plant as the current Yaris sedan.

Suspicion confirmed. The Toyota USA Newsroom confirms that to be the case. The only unpleasant surprise: the hatchback is automatic-only, whereas its sedan counterpart (at least for the 2019 model year) is available with a proper 6-speed clutch-pedal manual.

https://toyotanews.pressroom.toyota...echnology-cargo-capacity-and-practicality.htm

 

[mikeavelli]

Yaris XLE is just an interesting mix lol....

 

[Bluesuprarcf52]

Correct.


I'm not sure what to think here. Yes, the current Mirai was launched for the 2015 model year, so a conventional 6-year cycle would put a 2nd-gen launch at the 2021 model year. But Mirai sales volumes are so low, and we have yet to see even a facelift to the current one, that I think it may continue as is beyond the 2021 MY. Then again, Toyota plans to make a huge splash insofar as future technology and mobility in conjunction with its sponsorship of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. That could include the unveiling of a Mirai successor.


All we have to go on here is sheer speculation and a couple of clues. One is the U.S. trademark registration of Harrier, which I wrote about for Kaizen Factor in August 2018. The current JDM Harrier was introduced in December 2013. Thus, its successor could be launched for the 2020 or 2021 model year.

But what if a Harrier for North America has nothing to do with the Japanese version? It's possible that we might be looking at the North American Yaris-as-rebadged Mazda2 template for inspiration instead. The joint Toyota/Mazda U.S. assembly plant in Huntsville, Alabama will build "a yet-to-be-revealed Mazda crossover", widely rumored to be a return of the CX-7 badge. A recent stray comment on Just-Auto suggests that there will also be a Toyota-badged version of said crossover. Could that be the North American Harrier? If so, the Huntsville plant isn't scheduled to start production until calendar year 2021 (2022 model year).

BTW, Mazda will be hosting a press conference on Wednesday 17 April at the New York Auto Show. Might it be for a concept predictor for the revived, U.S.-built CX-7 crossover?


Correct.


You want even more?! For a carmaker to launch at least 7 new-generation models in a given model year is a huge deal, verging on overkill. If we see anything beyond that, it would be new variants of existing models, such as a TRD Corolla.

Yes. I expect them. Many of their products are ancient and need replacing asp. I’m also hoping for some new F products from Lexus. Hopefully the LCF, LSF and LQF are 2021 models at earliest.

 

[Bluesuprarcf52]

For 2022 model year Toyota should have new Sequoia, Prius, and 86 successor?Lexus would have new Rx. Gs successor? RC successor?

 

[Joaquin Ruhi]

Yes. I expect them. Many of their products are ancient and need replacing ASAP. I’m also hoping for some new F products from Lexus. Hopefully the LC F, LS F and LQ F are 2021 models at earliest.

It's true that LC Convertible, LC F (convertible and/or coupe) and LS F are also possibilities for the 2021 model year, but those are new variants of existing models (like the TRD Corolla example I mentioned earlier), as opposed to new-generation models.

LQ F would presumably come later than 2021. With the exception of RC F, all other Lexus F models have come a couple of years after the non-F "regular" model.

For 2022 model year Toyota should have new Sequoia, Prius, and 86 successor?

Of those 3, Carmaker1 has only mentioned Sequoia for the 2022 model year. Glenn Brooks of Just-Auto, however, does put both next-gen Prius and 86 as 2022 MY launches.

Lexus would have new RX. GS successor? RC successor?

5RX, as you correctly state, should launch for the 2022 model year.

A GS successor? Probably a combination of an enlarged 4IS and the AWD 7ES. The current GS is expected to die after the 2020 model year (with GS F maybe hanging on for another year) without a proper 5th-gen successor.

As to the RC, anything is possible, from its death as an HS-like one-generation wonder to the launch of a 2nd-gen version for MY 2022 (or, more likely, MY 2023 in spring 2022) to being absorbed into the IS family as "IC".

 

[flexus]

The only unpleasant surprise: the hatchback is automatic-only, whereas its sedan counterpart (at least for the 2019 model year) is available with a proper 6-speed clutch-pedal manual.

Mazda dropped also manual option from 6. Automatic is bad for low power engines. With manual you get the feeling that you go fast because revving the engine is easier. Also does anyone no about is so called semi automatic sixspeed coming to Europe? Toyota Japan promotes it very much but I thought if it was just same manual as in Europe but under different name.

 

[Bluesuprarcf52]

It's true that LC Convertible, LC F (convertible and/or coupe) and LS F are also possibilities for the 2021 model year, but those are new variants of existing models (like the TRD Corolla example I mentioned earlier), as opposed to new-generation models.

LQ F would presumably come later than 2021. With the exception of RC F, all other Lexus F models have come a couple of years after the non-F "regular" model.


Of those 3, Carmaker1 has only mentioned Sequoia for the 2022 model year. Glenn Brooks of Just-Auto, however, does put both next-gen Prius and 86 as 2022 MY launches.


5RX, as you correctly state, should launch for the 2022 model year.

A GS successor? Probably a combination of an enlarged 4IS and the AWD 7ES. The current GS is expected to die after the 2020 model year (with GS F maybe hanging on for another year) without a proper 5th-gen successor.

As to the RC, anything is possible, from its death as an HS-like one-generation wonder to the launch of a 2nd-gen version for MY 2022 (or, more likely, MY 2023 in spring 2022) to being absorbed into the IS family as "IC".

I really hope that Lexus makes GS and RC replacements. Who cares if they don’t sell the best.They have the new gal platform to use. New turbocharged six and eight cylinders to use in the future. Lexus shouldn’t give up so easily.

Lexus should make the next gen Gs as a true four door coupe sedan. Next gen RC shouldn’t also mishmash of diffferent platforms put together.