Agent47 Posted January 1, 2021 Posted January 1, 2021 Its arrival was a metaphorical shot in the arm late in the tyre fire that was 2020 and was upstaged only by the literal shot in the arm promised by the impending arrival of Covid-19 vaccines. We don’t hand out five-star scores for first drives often, but the Toyota GR Yaris is fully deserving of every word of praise heaped upon it. And we’re sure the expectations of the many eager buyers who have already reserved one will be fully met when they take delivery next year. Which is pretty remarkable, really. Who could have anticipated such excitement from a car carrying the Yaris nameplate? Actually, some of the joy of the GR Yaris is that it has come from such a humble place. Toyota is a mass-market manufacturer and the Yaris is largely a straight, sensible hybrid hatchback. With the car world shifting its focus to electrified models and practical mobility solutions, it’s almost surreal that Toyota has lavished resources on a rally-derived, petrol-engined hot hatch. Our belief – with a little bit of hope – is that Toyota’s efforts will pay off and the GR Yaris will be a huge hit that can join the likes of the Honda Civic Type R and Volkswagen Golf R as high-performance mass-market masterpieces. Ford’s decision not to develop a new Focus RS raised concerns about the prospects of the top-end hot hatch (although the Focus ST is spectacular). The GR Yaris will hopefully prove that the future is still bright. Industry giant turned corporate fugitive Carlos Ghosn recently said that the impact of the pandemic will accelerate industry consolidation through 2021 (and beyond). He’s probably right. As the need to cut costs becomes ever more acute, we could see more high-profile mergers such as FCA’s and PSA’s Stellantis. However, we reckon car ranges will shrink further, too, as the cost and complexity of vast numbers of engines and trim levels bite. Diesel’s decreasing demand has already caused many models to go petrol only and the need to cut fleet CO2 emissions will also result in some thirsty engine options falling by the wayside. At least we’ll see a glut of new electric vehicles. Mitsubishi’s decision to withdraw from Europe was shocking but there was nothing illogical about it. Car makers are under huge financial pressure. Europe, meanwhile, is setting the most demanding emission standards in the world, and the UK is adding complexity, and cost, as a result of Brexit. So operating on the fringes of the UK market is less enticing than ever. As moonshots go, this prediction is right out there, but as this discombobulating year has worn on, it has become evident that the Fiesta’s position as Britain’s best-selling car – a crown it has worn since 2009 – is coming under increasing pressure, from the Vauxhall Corsa and Volkswagen Golf but also from within its own ranks in the form of the Focus and Puma. Yes, of course, little has been normal over the past nine months or so, but there’s no reason to think 2021 will be hugely different, vaccine or otherwise. In fact, import tariffs could eat so far into profit margins that even Ford itself starts to prioritise sales of its higher-margin vehicles over that of its po[CENSORED]r supermini. Or that it at least happily gives up the bragging rights associated with the top sales spot in exchange for allowing some sales to be cannibalised by the higher-margin Focus and Puma. Enough to make another Ford the brand’s best-seller? Possibly. If you like a flutter, you’d put your money on the Focus, but it has been notable in recent months how rapidly the Puma, beloved of revenge buyers splashing some cash or downsizers saving some, has been coming up on the rails.
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