According to Motor Trend, the late Toyota chief test driver Hiromu Naruse dreamed of a low-cost, rear-wheel-drive car aimed at young drivers. Since Naruse's untimely death earlier this year, Toyota began development on such a car: a hatchback based on the chassis of the Toyota Aygo city car, with an engine from Daihatsu. Toyota will reportedly source the 1.5-liter I-4 powerplant from Daihatsu, and may also have its Japanese subsidiary produce the vehicle.
Toyota hopes the rear-wheel-drive setup will be attractive to youthful consumers, and the vehicle is expected to tip the scales at a sub-Mazda Miata weight of 2200 pounds. Should it arrive in North America, it's poised to be the least expensive rear-wheel-drive offering.
The new Toyota hatchback will likely retail closer to $16,000