Is a Yaris hybrid a Prius-killer?

An instant top selling hybrid?

By 2011, if the rumors are correct, Toyota will launch a Yaris-like hybrid that might sell for as low as $15,650 and achieve as much as 70 mpg in the city.

On the other hand, VW is preparing to offer a 2 door Golf TDI in the US for $21,990. The standard, and much less efficient, Golf will cost $17,490.

So, a Yaris-based hybrid could be in a league of its own, especially if Toyota can come up with a hot new design rather than just a rebadged Yaris.

Would such a hybrid achieve most of its success by stealing Prius buyers, or would a Yaris-hybrid appeal to a whole new consumer segment?

Toyota Yaris hybrid due by 2011

Easily Toyota's smallest hybrid

Talk of a new Yaris-based Toyota hybrid continues to spill out of Toyota.

According to the latest reports, Toyota plans to begin selling a Yaris-based hybrid by 2011 to compete with the Honda Fit hybrid.

Can't wait for a healthy sub-$20,000 hybrid market.

Yaris hybrid coming, Auris hybrid possible

Yaris hybrid confirmed

Small Toyota hybrid cars are coming.

Akihiko Otsuka, chief engineer of the redesigned, third-generation Toyota Prius stated, ""We are developing a low-priced hybrid vehicles like Honda's Insight. We are going to compete by expanding our hybrid-vehicle lineup to smaller hybrids, in the class of the Vitz [sold in Japan] and Yaris.".

Likewise, Otsuka noted that the current Prius will now share a great number of parts with the Toyota Auris while confirming that the Auris - the Corolla platform in the US - was designed so that it could carry a hybrid system.

Cheap hybrid vehicles are on the way! Unfortunately, don't expect any of these new hybrids until at least 2011.