Toyota Yaris vehicle production, delivery to Puerto Rico to end in November
The 2020 model of the Toyota Yaris Sedan will be the last to be sold in Puerto Rico, after the automaker decided to end production and delivery of the popular sub-compact vehicle to the local market.
“After careful consideration, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) has decided that 20MY will be the last model year for Yaris Sedan [and hatchback] in the U.S. and Puerto Rico markets. Toyota would like to thank the Yaris family for 14 years on the market and more than 119,000 vehicles sold in Puerto Rico,” said Dan Swartz, general manager of Toyota de Puerto Rico.
Over the years, Yaris has attracted many first-time buyers who seek practicality, value, and affordability. Nevertheless, Toyota “feels strongly that we have vehicles in our portfolio that will continue to attract this buyer,” he said.
The Toyota Yaris made its debut in 1999 and several generations of the vehicle have been introduced to market since.
In 2014, through an agreement with Mazda Motor Corp., Toyota announced it would shift production of several of its models to the latter’s plant in Mexico.
The Toyota Yaris was one of the models that rolled out of that assembly plant, but according to published reports, production to supply the U.S. and Canada markets ended in June and August, respectively. Production for the Puerto Rico market will end in November.
“Since we listen to our customers, Toyota will always be committed to Puerto Rico and will offer a variety of products that satisfy the Puerto Ricans’ demand around the island,” Swartz said.
The elimination of the Yaris sub-compact sedan is a reflection of changing consumer preferences toward larger vehicles, like SUV’s and pickups. Last year, Toyota eliminated the Prius c Hybrid model from its lineup, three years after discontinuing production of the Scion segment.
