Yaris hatchback future in Australia?

[YuriB]

Greetings, happy 2023 to everyone.

My first post here.

I ordered Yaris Hybrid ZR hatchback for my wife in November 2022 (in Melbourne).

I ordered a two-tone (i.e. with black roof) colour scheme. 

This week the news from the UK is that two-tone colour scheme has been discontinued in the UK (from Dec 2022+) and customers are getting single-colour scheme.

The reason given is that 2-tone colour scheme requires significant additional work at the Yaris factory which the factory cannot afford due to a very high waiting list.

This makes 2-note colour scheme un-economical for Toyota to produce.

Is the same likely to happen to Yaris hatchback model in Australia?

Will Toyota Australia or the Toyota dealer advise me well ahead of time so I can change the colour without losing my place in the waiting list?

In general, the Yaris Hatchback sales in 2022 have been relatively low volume, from what I see about 700 Yaris hatchbacks cars delivered in the year. 

I am beginning to wonder if Toyota Australia will discontinue import of Yaris hatchback model anyhow and I should switch to another model such as better selling Yaris Cross or Corolla hatchback?

Thoughts and comments will be appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[Hiro]

21 hours ago, YuriB said:

This week the news from the UK is that two-tone colour scheme has been discontinued in the UK (from Dec 2022+) and customers are getting single-colour scheme.  The reason given is that 2-tone colour scheme requires significant additional work at the Yaris factory which the factory cannot afford due to a very high waiting list.  This makes 2-note colour scheme un-economical for Toyota to produce.

Is the same likely to happen to Yaris hatchback model in Australia?

 

The Euro-market Yaris is manufactured in France and the Czech Republic, waiting list issues there will unlikely affect Aus-market deliveries from Japan.

[YuriB]

3 hours ago, Hiro said:

The Euro-market Yaris is manufactured in France and the Czech Republic, waiting list issues there will unlikely affect Aus-market deliveries from Japan.

yes, I wont dispute any of the above, thanks for your thoughts.

I will note that in Europe the (French/etc factory) waiting list for Yaris hybrid hatchback is much shorter than in Australia (from Japan factory), it is 6-9 months according to the UK customer reports. We in Australia are being quoted 12 months for Yaris hatchback hybrid so it's a lot worse down under. If 2-tone paint makes a difference for Yaris factory in Europe then it may make even bigger difference to the overloaded factory in Japan too. This is pure speculation on my part. I am OK to change the order a single colour paint scheme, provided I keep my place in the waiting list.

Given they only sell ~700 Yaris hatchbacks in Australia (2022) despite massive 12 months waiting list there is even higher chance of Toyota putting a permanent pause on Yaris hatchback imports. I just don't want to waste 6-12 months waiting for a car that will ultimately not be delivered. I asked my Toyota dealer and predictably he does not know what will happen. I believe him, as it appears that Toyota production has very little visibility to Australian Toyota dealers, it looks like a lottery. 

[Hiro]

Remember also that a Yaris built in France could be on a dealer forecourt in the UK less than a day after it leaves the factory, whereas here you need to account for at least a month for sea-freight.