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Toyota confirms C-HR crossover to debut at Geneva

With the compact crossover segment booming with new entries, Toyota soon intends to burst into the popular market with a production version of the C-HR concept. The rakishly styled, little CUV will show off its final face at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show next March, and European sales will start before summer, Autocar reports. Customers in the US will likely get to drive the angular model, too. The C-HR concept's chiseled shape is expected to make the transition to the road largely unaltered. According to Autocar, customers reportedly really dig the razor-sharp look versus a more conventional CUV design. A hybrid is also expected to be included in the production powertrain lineup, but non-electrified options could be available, too. The Japanese automaker last displayed the C-HR at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show. Underneath the avant-garde shape, the Toyota New Global Architecture provided the underpinnings, and a hybrid powertrain was there for propulsion. The concept's general design idea was actually the revival of a three-door crossover from the 2014 Paris Motor Show. In addition, the production C-HR is expected eventually to arrive in the US but likely wearing a Scion badge. Spy shots highly suggest that a crossover is already under development, and the entry would give the division a much-needed challenger to the Nissan Juke, Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3, and plenty of others. Plus, the brand is keeping it absolutely no secret that a third, new model is on way to join the iA and iM.

2016 Scion iM First Drive

The 2016 Scion iM can't launch soon enough. It's a fully competitive, well-rounded hatchback. It's functional. It's cute. And it's priced under $20,000. But perhaps more importantly, the iM represents a big breath of life into the increasingly less relevant Scion brand. In 2006, Scion moved 173,034 cars in the United States with only three models – the xA, xB, and tC. Fast forward to 2014, Scion moved just 58,009 units in our market, and that's with a five-car lineup. Yes, the original, boxy xB posted better sales numbers all by itself in 2006 than the entire Scion range did in 2014. Midway through 2015, the situation is worse. Scion sold 21,093 units through the end of May, compared to 26,024 during the same period in 2014. The iQ is dead. The xB and xD are on their way out. Now more than ever, Scion desperately needs fresh metal in its showrooms. Enter the iM and, to a lesser extent, the 2016 iA sedan that arrives at the same time. The iM is a more conventional Scion. But that's a good thing. The automaker recognizes that it needs cars that more appropriately play in the mainstream in order to attract a broader spectrum of customers. As such, the iM is sized to fit in with other C-segment hatchbacks. At 170.5 inches long, 69.3 inches wide, and 55.3 inches tall the Scion is longer than a Volkswagen Golf, but slightly narrower and shorter. Scion loads the iM up with a good amount of standard equipment. Like Scion's past offerings, the car only comes one way. Every iM starts as the car you see here (well, except for color), with 17-inch wheels and a body kit that's more sporty than conservative. It looks tacked-on, though – think last-generation Corolla S. Still, on the road, the iM is handsome, and looks good in brighter, more vibrant colors. It's not as sculpted or pretty as a Mazda3 or Ford Focus, but the iM isn't a bland, uninspired two-box shape. And if it looks familiar to your eyes, that's because it already exists as the Toyota Auris overseas. With only one spec on offer, Scion loads the iM up with a good amount of standard equipment. Every iM rolls off the line with dual-zone, automatic climate control, auto-on/off headlamps, and a seven-inch touchscreen display for the Pioneer audio and Toyota Entune-based infotainment system. That's all well and good, but it also means there are no major upgrades available. You can't get a sunroof or xenon headlamps. Same goes for leather upholstery. Don't even think about heated seats.

Cheap, honest transportation | 2017 Toyota Yaris iA

In The Love Bug, the main character (aside from Herbie) is a down-on-his-luck racing driver named Jim Douglas. Early on, he steps into an exotic car show room, and when the dealer asks him kind of car he's looking for, Douglas replies, "What do you have in the way of cheap, honest transportation?" The dealer quickly snatches his fancy liquor back from Douglas and soon after Herbie shows up from the back of the showroom. But if this happened today, you could easily replace the classic Beetle with a 2017 Toyota Yaris iA. The poor thing isn't nearly as endearing to look at as a classic Bug, as a result of the rather unattractive nose, and it's now using a second pseudonym (first Scion iA, then Toyota Yaris iA) to hide its Mazda heritage. However, everything else about it nails the description of cheap, honest transportation. And for that reason, it's a lovely little car. Let's start with honesty, and it begins from the minute you start equipping the car – the iA is a "what you see is what you get" proposition. You see, the iA moniker isn't the only holdover from the Scion era. The Toyota Yaris iA retains its "monospec" configuration, which means it comes with only one option: the transmission. Customers can choose from either a 6-speed manual like our test car, or a 6-speed automatic which costs $1,100. Everything else is standard, and "everything" includes some choice features. You get alloy wheels, air conditioning, cruise control, USB and Bluetooth integration, a rear-view camera, tilt and telescoping steering wheel with audio controls, and keyless entry with push-button start. Technically there are a number of dealer-installed accessories too, including your typical fare of mudguards, rear spoiler, cargo organizers, and such. However, none of them are really necessary, with one exception. For some odd reason, the Yaris iA does not come with a center armrest. It's a $195 accessory, and frankly it should be a standard feature because it's so useful. If you hadn't guessed, ours wasn't equipped with it. Everywhere else the iA is a thoroughly pleasant car, if not as sporty as the old Mazda2. The little 1.5-liter four-cylinder under the hood isn't particularly potent with 106 horsepower and 103 lb-ft of torque. But with a Miata-like 2,385-pound curb weight and our car's manual transmission, it manages to feel fairly sprightly, and never has any trouble dicing it up with traffic. That transmission is pretty decent, too.