The next-generation Toyota Yaris will be available with a pure-electric drivetrain in addition to its hybrid options.
When asked about the next-generation Yaris, Andrea Carlucci, Toyota Europe’s strategy and marketing chief, told AutoExpress: “If electrification is the direction, I think we cannot avoid having a fully electrified version. When, I cannot comment, but it looks to be quite obvious.”
According to Mr Carlucci, “the ideal path is to offer a platform where we have multi-energy options” allowing each model to be available with internal combustion, hybrid, and pure electric drivetrains. This, he believes, will help the company deliver “different powertrains that are the right solution for every customer”.
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This means the next Yaris, which is expected to be launched in 2027 or 2028, will follow in the footsteps of the larger Corolla. Likely to be released in the second half of 2026, the new Corolla will feature styling similar to the radical concept revealed at last year’s Tokyo motor show, and will be available with petrol, hybrid and electric drivetrains.
As a senior executive with Toyota Europe, Mr Carlucci was speaking about the Yaris sold in developed markets such as Europe, Japan and Australia.
The automaker also sells a value-engineered version of the Yaris in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, which is based largely on Toyota’s older B platform.
This emerging-market Yaris isn’t available with a hybrid drivetrain, and it’s unclear when it will migrate onto a modern architecture.
Toyota outlined its plan to merge its combustion and electric model lines in May 2025. The change is said to not only reduce complexity for the automaker, but also minimise potential customer confusion with multiple models playing in same space, such as the all-electric bZ4X, and the hybrid and plug-in hybrid RAV4.
The first car that benefitted from this new strategy is theeighth-generation Lexus ES sedan introduced in April 2025. In many markets, including Australia, it will be offered with a choice of hybrid petrol-electric, and pure electric drivetrains.
Stellantis is another automaker which has chosen to go down the “multi-energy” path, with many of its European models available with the choice of combustion engines or as pure EVs.
Other manufacturers, like Renault, are continuing to develop separate combustion and electric models with, for example, the Clio and 5 E-Tech sharing similar footprints.
It will be interesting to see how the Yaris EV stacks up to its European rivals. The 52kWh version of the Renault 5 E-Tech has a WLTP range of 410km, while the refreshed Peugeot e-208 manages 431km on its 51kWh battery.