For the last several months, the public was anxiously waiting for the release of the Toyota Yaris Sedan in Pakistan. After a lot of spy-shots and dozens of articles and speculations, at last, Toyota Indus revealed the model but not in the manner Toyota wanted to release.
Unfortunately, the Corona-virus pandemic is playing havoc around the globe, and it was not different for Pakistan. Toyota was forced to cancel the mega reveal party as planned for the last week of March. Instead, the demo cars are sent to dealers, and the Toyota Indus updated their website with the information and pricing of the car and started online booking.
Although no one has seen the car in person on the showroom floors because of the ongoing lock-down, there is already a lot of excitement among the public about the car.
It is typical and normal for Pakistan domestic models to be less equipped as far as features and safety when it is compared with the same models from overseas. Besides that, built quality also comes to question and criticism.
We don’t know about the built quality of PKDM [Pakistan Domestic Model] Yaris as of now because no one has inspected it in person, and neither anyone has received their booked vehicles, which can share their first-hand experience. But we do know the official specification and features available in the PKDM Yaris.
In this article, we run a head to head comparison of PKDM Yaris with the Indian counterpart. The Pakistan models come with various variants, and the same is the case with the Indian model. We will pick the top of the line 1.5L ATIV X CVT from Pakistan / PK and put it against the Indian/IN Yaris VX CVT variant and see how the same models compare.
Under The Skin:
Nothing is different under the hood for both Pakistani Yaris and Indian Yaris. Both are powered by 2NR FE naturally aspirated 4 cylinder engine. Almost identical power figures of around 105hp @ 6000rpm while maximum torque is set for 140 @ 4200rpm. CVT transmission, Electric power steering are identical as well as suspension setup, which is MacPherson Strut on the front while Torsion Beam on the rear.
The major mechanical difference remains the brake setup, which on the PK model is a disc on the front while drums in the rear in comparison to the IN model, which have all wheels with disc brakes.
Exterior:
On the exterior, the one major difference one can easily guess is the type of headlights. The IN top model has projector headlights, but the PK models don’t have that option. It comes with a typical regular halogen headlight.
The availability of projectors gives the car a slightly smarter and premium look. Unfortunately, Pakistani buyers will not be able to enjoy it. Both PK and IN top of the line model gets the same wheel size of 185/60R15 with alloys, but the IN model gets different design wheels which differentiate it from the lower end models.
The LED DRLs are available on both sides of the border as well as fog lights, LED combination taillights, side view mirror-mounted turn signals, chrome door handles, matching color bumpers. The IN model also comes equipped with rear fog-lights built-in to the taillight assembly, which is normally found in European cars.
I would like to particularly talk about a special feature here which can make a difference. The Shark Fin antenna had was the town when it first showed up on the Honda City. Although it is available on the Indian model, the Pakistani model doesn’t have this special feature, and instead, a pole antenna is mounted for radio reception.
Interior:
While we were unable to point a lot of differences on the exterior, the interior is something that should be interesting to compare. Both Indian and Pakistani models get the same design of the interior with a two-tone black/ivory color combination. We find the same instrumental cluster with 4.2″ Multi-information display/ MID and availability of push-button with the smart key.
The Pakistani model gets a 6.8″ in-dash touch screen DVD/VCD Playable infotainment system with Bluetooth compatibility and streaming option along with USB input, and mirror-link option.
As of Indian Model, the infotainment system consist of a 7″ touch screen with gesture control, HDMI, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. IT also comes with a built-in navigation system, while that is not an option for the PK model.
Both Indian and Pakistani Yaris has 6 speakers, steering wheels controls as well as the tilt feature of the steering wheel.
Yaris VX, Indian domestic model pictured
Automatic, touch-button climate control, rear defogger, as well as power-adjustable side view mirrors are also identical, although the Indian version also gets power-folding side-view mirrors.
The Indian model gets a roof-mounted rear HVAC venting system, which also comes with ambient lighting. Moreover, it also comes standard with cruise control, paddle shifting, which are missing from the PK model. Besides that, IN VX comes with leather seating while PK gets fabric. The IN model rear seats also come with a 60:40 split function, and it also comes with central armrest with a cup holder; we don’t see these for the PK top of the line model.
The IN model also comes standard with rear sunshade, rain-sensing wipers, auto headlights with follow me home feature and is also equipped with 8-way power driver seat function, PK model comes without all this fun factor.
Safety:
When it comes to safety, the PK version of Yaris has added good features. The availability of vehicle stability control is a standard feature which is a welcoming sign. The PK model is equipped with ABS with Brake Assist and Electronic Brake Distribution, as well as Hill-start assist. PK version gets only two frontal airbags, whereas the Indian Yaris has 7 airbags, which includes front, side, and curtain. IN version is also equipped with tire pressure monitoring system TPMS, which is not even available at the top of the line Corolla, and it is also not available in the PK version of Yaris.
The rear camera can be seen in both IN and PK models. The IN model also comes with, High-Speed Alert, speed sensing auto door lock, and impact sensing auto door unlock [ unlocks the door in case of the accident ] as safety features. Central locking and Immobilize are available in both Pakistani and Indian models.
Yaris VX, Indian domestic model pictured
Verdict :
Normally, I leave this to readers to make an opinion and final judgment about it. Yaris is a good addition in our market especially keeping in mind that Honda City has been ruling the show with the same model for over 10 years, and buyers were without any other option in the segment.
The availability of standard safety equipment is highly appreciated, however, it’s still less than what an overseas customer gets.
Until local car assemblers develop the local part supplier or, in other words, invest in developing parts locally, we will never see well featured and equipped cars. Localization is the only way that can result in a better end product while keeping the cost still in a reasonable manner. We will still need parts to import for assembly, but localization can reduce the list.
While I was writing this article, I came across the news that Toyota Indus already increased the price of all variants of Yaris just within 3 weeks after the launch and before even delivering a single unit to the customer. Our subject model of today’s blog got a hit of PKR 150,000/- The new price of Yaris ATIV X CVT is PKR 2,959,000/-
We always compare the pricing of our models with India or other regions. Normally it’s not the right comparison, and there are various reasons for that. The competition, market size, the exchange rate w.r.t dollar as well as the percentage of the local part making a car , makes an Indian domestic model much cheaper, and that is the main reason one can buy a fully loaded Yaris VX models for an ex-showroom price of 14,18,000/- Indian rupees.
I always give an example from our daily life. If we can enjoy a bottled or canned soft drink at a reasonable price, it’s only because we have localized the major portion of the bottle. Although the main formula still comes as an import, the rest of the ingredients are added from local supply.
Share your thoughts.
