In the automotive market, there are often cars that are built as a reaction to the pressure from the competition. When one automaker builds a style of vehicle the rest have to follow, especially if the trend is successful on the first vehicle. Soon we see an entire market change toward this new style of vehicle that’s no longer new but a successful and impressive class of vehicle. This was certainly the case as SUVs began to get smaller and that part of the market hasn’t even reached its peak yet, but there’s another part of the market that’s changing and more automakers are getting on board than ever; the hot hatch.
Taking a small lightweight car that’s shaped like a bubble on wheels and putting the power under it to make it drive fast has become a successful obsession in the automotive market. The desire for these small and quick vehicles has roots in time of many years ago but the hot hatches that are on the market today are able to be driven on the street and taken to the track while having the equipment needed to make them vehicles you can drive on a daily basis.
One automaker that typically doesn’t succumb to trends and pressure but seems to be now is Toyota. Their methodical approach to building vehicles has always paid off for them as the automaker with the reputation for reliability, resale value, and quality. It should come as no surprise that Toyota didn’t lead the charge into the hot hatch category but with nearly every other competitor building at least one or two of these small but mighty machines, the pressure seems to be too much and Toyota will present us with a new hot hatch that we can love at an upcoming auto show.
The new model will be the Yaris hot hatch which will show up with three doors and more than 210 horsepower. This is a car that’s looking to compete with the Ford Fiesta ST on the market and it will be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March along with a new standard Yaris and a new WRC version of the car. The entire lineup of Yaris models is receiving upgrades with a new front end look, a better rear appearance and a new interior that will make it a more comfortable and confident car for you to drive.
While we will get the pleasure of admiring this new car at the Geneva Motor Show, the Yaris hot hatch might not make it to the US market, at least not right away. Of course, we want this car to come to our shores and let us have a lot of fun on the road with it, but it may need to prowl the streets of Europe and Japan for a couple of years first. Whether this means we’re seeing Toyota succumb to the pressure or if they’re just tired of being overlooked when it comes to the hatchback model, we can be thankful they’re finally building a hot hatch.
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