2012 Yaris Gets Big Changes in US Compared to Europe

A few weeks ago we covered the European reveal of the redesigned 2012 Yaris for Europe. Now, Toyota has revealed the specs for the US version, and the Americans will be getting some things that Europe does not – most notable a bigger engine. 

The American Yaris gets a  single engine 1.5 liter four-cylinder engine that makes 106hp and 103lb-ft of torque. In comparison Europe gets a choice of three engines: 1 liter and 1.3 liter petrol engines and a 1.4 liter diesel. The 1.5 liter engine in the American Yaris makes seven more horsepower than the most powerful European engine but at the expense of a lot of fuel. The US engine consumes 7.1 liters/100km compared to 5.1l/100km from the 1.3 liter in the European Yaris. 

All of the exterior and interior changes are the same for both models. The US Yaris gets the same exterior redesign and more driver focused interior. 

There is one big change on the inside though. The American Yaris is not available with the 6.1 inch touchscreen that controls the radio and navigation that is an option on European models. North American buyers will not be able to get it at all. 

So there you have it, a microcosm of small cars in the US. Buyers might get bigger, faster engines but at the expense of fuel economy and interior features.