TOYOTA YARIS VOTED CAR OF THE YEAR 2000

On 16 November, the European Car of the Year Jury announced that the Toyota Yaris has been voted European Car of the Year 2000.

Mr Akira Imai, President of Toyota Motor Europe (TMME) said upon hearing this news: "This is the greatest distinction an automobile manufacturer can achieve in Europe. It is the first time we have received this award, and we are deeply honoured by it.

"It shows that our decision to design vehicles in Europe for the European market was the right one. It shows that Toyota is becoming a fully integrated and accepted player in Europe. It supports our decision to manufacture Yaris at our new factory in Valenciennes, France from 2001. And it shows the tremendous dedication of all our team, from engineering and design through to sales and marketing, both at our headquarters and in all our national distributors, to make the Yaris a success in Europe. I am very proud that our Yaris has become the Car of the Year 2000, a car of the New Millennium."

Fifty-six professional motoring journalists from 21 European countries voted on the award. Judges looked for the most outstanding new car of the year sold in Europe, according to key criteria: design, comfort, safety, economy, handling and roadworthiness, performance, driver satisfaction, and value for money.

The Yaris, which was designed in Europe, has also been a huge success in Japan, where it is sold under the name Vitz. It is the first time that Toyota has based a major mainstream model for the Japanese market on a European design.

The Yaris brand is a family of products. Due for launch in January is the Yaris Verso - a very flexible MPV style small car.

The introduction of Yaris has already enabled Toyota to achieve significantly higher market penetration of the all-important small car segment in Europe, now at 3.6%, compared to 1.6% previously.

Yaris also marks the beginning of a complete renewal of Toyota�s model line-up in the European market. By the autumn of 2000, 10 new models and six new engines will have been launched. These models will help rejuvenate the Toyota brand and appeal to a broader and younger customer base. They will also contribute to achieving Toyota�s objective of 800,000 sales by 2005, or a 5% share of the European market.

• Toyota Yaris Verso in detail

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