The 2016 Yaris Sedan is also a Mazda2

"Upshift" (Upshift) 11/09/2015 at 13:07 • Filed to: Yaris, Sedan, Toyota, Mazda, Mazda2, 2016, identical, rebadged, zoom zoom

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Everyone probably knows at this point that the Scion iA sedan is a Mazda2. A slightly surprising decision but not a risky one because scion is not a high volume brand nor is it one who’s image has much of an impact on Toyota’s in the eyes of the general public.

But for 2016, it seems that Toyota is taking a big leap by making their mainstream Yaris Sedan from that same Mazda2 platform.

Why is that a big leap? Because, as mentionned earlier, while mucking with scion has very little impact on Toyota’s rep, a mainstream product from their own brand is a whole other story. While many bemoaned the 2015 hatchback’s lack of drivetrain and chassis progress compared to the old one, there was a reason they kept with it: The outgoing car’s reputation for being one of the most reliable cars on the planet right now.

They decided to take a car that sells very well and has a solid reputation and replace it with something they did not engineer themselves one bit. It’s one hell of a gamble they are taking if Mazda’s skyactiv tech ends up not being as reliable in the long term. Though you could also see this as a glowing reliability review of Mazda’s engineering if Toyota is choosing to rebrand their cars while keeping them mechanically and electronically 100% untouched save for badging.

On the bright side: Mazda is going to be making a LOT of money with this and will indirectly be selling their cars in much higher volume than they currently are in north america. Plus Toyota finally has their badge on a fun to drive car. (I’m just counting North America in this post as I am Canadian. I am aware the GT86 exists elsewhere). A yaris that’s fun? Who would have thought.

Oh and for reference. The top picture is the profile view of the 2016 Toyota Yaris taken from Toyota Canada’s website. And below is a picture of the new Mazda2 sedan. Note bow the Yaris is the same car down to the actual wheels haha.

Leon711 > Upshift 11/09/2015 at 13:15

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Possibly controversial opinion. Mazda 2 sedan is far uglier than the hatch.

dogisbadob > Upshift 11/09/2015 at 13:16

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Toyota is making a big mistake.

They should NOT be rebadging inferior cars. Shit, it’s usually the other car companies that rebadge Toyotas because they can’t make good cars themselves.

Even the FRS worries me because of Subaru’s head gasket issues.

It’s funny that they’re even bringing back the sedan since they dropped it a few years ago due to low sales. But why not use the international Vios instead? At least it’s a real Toyota!

They also need to offer the panoramic sunroof on the Yaris hatchback. They already offer it overseas.

Upshift > Leon711 11/09/2015 at 13:18

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I agree

duurtlang > Upshift 11/09/2015 at 13:19

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Why are companies offering sedans in this segment? Or, more importantly, why do consumers choose to buy a sedan is this segment?

Upshift > dogisbadob 11/09/2015 at 13:22

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Well so far the skyactiv cars are proving to be pretty reliable. The last annual Consumer Reports rankings had Mazda in 3rd place behind lexus and toyota respectively. So we will see in the long term but it is a gamble.

On the flipside toyota’s engines weren’t able to keep up with what Mazda is offering in both performance and fuel efficiency. Skyactiv isn’t just hype, I can vouch for the realness of the fuel economy numbers. It’s impressive.

But it’s still a risk.

Upshift > duurtlang 11/09/2015 at 13:25

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Well believe it or not but the previous en Yaris Sedan had a significant advantage over the hatch in cargo space. I know quite a few parents who couldn’t fit strollers and other gear in the hatchback without folding down the seats but had no issues whatsoever with the same gear in the sedan version and so bought the sedan. “Theoretical” cubic feet and actual practical usability don’t always correlate when it comes to hatchbacks. Especially poorly designed hatchbacks.

Leon711 > dogisbadob 11/09/2015 at 13:41

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In the UK mazda is easily held with similar regard to toyota, of course their market share combined is less than half of ford’s so its not like they are that big.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > duurtlang 11/09/2015 at 13:41

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Because people don’t like hatchbacks. I don’t get it either. My wife is one of them though. She just will flat out not buy a hatchback. Even though they offer it as a Scion, I hope Toyota will offer this as a Yaris too. She also won't buy a Scion because she feels too old for the brand. Go figure.

Teleph0nes > Leon711 11/09/2015 at 13:46

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I think the controversy would be if you said the hatch was uglier. Sub compacts seem to suffer from odd or terrible proportions when you try to make a sedan out of a small hatchback. The 2 hatch is a great looking little car, the sedan is odd looking. Same for the Fiesta. The hatchback (especially in ST guise, because lower and angrier all the things) is a fantastic looking little car. The Fiesta sedan is odd and off-putting.

Though I hope this will be a win/win for Toyota and Mazda. This will hopefully create a solid revenue stream for Mazda, and maybe Toyota can learn a thing or two about making cars more interesting to drive (Twins excluded).

Teleph0nes > duurtlang 11/09/2015 at 13:47

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Because a large portion of the American population does not buy hatchbacks (but flocks to CUVS...which are hatchbacks...still haven’t figure that one out)

gin-san - shitpost specialist > Leon711 11/09/2015 at 14:45

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Agreed, and I feel the same way about the Mazda 3 sedan/hatch comparison. The new body styles really suit the hatchback body.

That said, I think the Mazda 6 is a great looking sedan, although that may be because we don’t have a hatch variant for that.

CompactLuxuryFan > Upshift 11/09/2015 at 15:16

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Ugh, can Mazda just bring the hatch to the US, pleeease

Upshift > CompactLuxuryFan 11/09/2015 at 15:44

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Well Canadians are supposed to be getting it. Just move here haha

CompactLuxuryFan > Upshift 11/09/2015 at 16:13

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That’s actually a small possibility (visa uncertainties, what can ya do). They also sell it back home, so maybe there is a Mazda 2 hatch in my future somewhere...

Joe F > Upshift 11/09/2015 at 16:21

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Is this also the platform used for the Fiesta?

Upshift > Joe F 11/09/2015 at 16:30

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Nope. All Skyactiv platforms are 100% Mazda engineered. Toyota is the first to actually get to use them as rebranded cars.

Probenja > dogisbadob 11/09/2015 at 18:44

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The vios is basically the same as the old yaris sedan, just looks different, it also has a much, much worse interior than this mazda 2 new yaris sedan.