Flying, er, quick day trip to France this week, on Eurostar, for a first look (but don’t drive) at the third generation Yaris and final line trials as Toyota’s latest B-segment baby ramps up for its European debut in a few months.
Eurostar, operating since ’94, is a remarkable way to whizz, underground (near London) and undersea, from Olde England to the Continent but is looking a bit worn in places after 17 years. On the outward leg, a panel hung open below my table, exposing bare terminals that probably powered the light and I wasn’t about to check the voltage by feel. Pointed out to staff, the errant panel was slammed shut and remained so till the next bump in the track (no longer as smooth as I recall from earlier trips); it needed the missing screw replaced. On the way back, the panel was in place but the light wasn’t working. Good, friendly service and snacks, though, and so much easier to access than going via London airports with their multi-timezone walks between gate and terminal. But don’t get me started on the joys, or lack thereof, of Lille Euro station. Let’s just say it ain’t remotely in the same league as Gare du Nord in Paris or the magnificently restored St Pancras in London.
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Hirofumi Yamamoto, chief engineer of the Yaris (called the Vitz in Japan) clearly respects and benchmarked the European rivals to his new baby and has come up with a much-improved looking car, especially in terms of interior quality, and equipment. Mark Adams, the Brit in charge of purchasing, had some interesting insights about how some of that was achieved. The notably compact Toyota Motor Manufacturing France plant – 790 units a day at full two-shift tilt – was only pressing panels during our brief visit but also moulds some of its own plastics; engines come mostly from Poland with one from Japan. Given recent recalls and the fallout therefrom, there was an emphasis on quality control measures and restructuring but, seriously, the Yaris, popular in my neighbourhood, is not a car one associates with poor quality.
Elsewhere, a chat at a rugby event resulted in a ‘who’d have thunk it?’ story re GM’s Volt/Ampera; could ‘stale’ fuel be a problem? This reminded me of the dire warnings in various Briggs & Stratton owner manuals over about the last 40 years; suffice to say the mowers have always fired on last year’s petrol not least because (a) it is difficult to drain out and (b) disposing of old petrol under EU rules is only marginally easier than dealing with spent fuel rods.
At the same event we tried to get a definite yes or no on an Opel sale, make of this what you will.
We also have had a lengthy chat with senior Nissan VP Andy Palmer; didja know China is that automaker’s largest market?
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By GlobalDataNot so much Saab news of late, but things are bubbling along. Latest from our Sweden specialist is that an accord has been reached with many suppliers and fingers are crossed for an early August restart.
Have a nice weekend.
Graeme Roberts, Deputy Editor, just-auto.com
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