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32-702: The Toyota Yaris Verso is a mini MPV produced by Toyota using the Yaris nameplate from August 1999 to October 2005. In Japan, it is known as the Toyota FunCargo ( Japanese : トヨタ・ファンカーゴ , Hepburn : Toyota Fankāgo ) . It is built on the same NBC platform as the XP10 series Yaris/Vitz/Echo . The FunCargo/Yaris Verso was replaced in Japan and Europe by the Ractis and Verso-S , respectively. The concept form of

64-562: A group of younger buyers who otherwise shop for used cars. While fuel prices at the time were increasing, the small cars were planned before fuel prices soared; for example, Honda had announced that it would release a subcompact model as early as 2004. By 2008, sales of subcompact cars had dramatically increased in the wake of a continuing increase of fuel prices. At the same time, sales of pickup trucks and large sport utility vehicles had dropped sharply. By April 2008, sales of Toyota’s subcompact Yaris had increased 46 percent, and Honda’s Fit had

96-599: A limited edition of 350 "VF130" special edition cars. In some markets, a two-seater van with stripped equipment was also available. Most reviews in the United Kingdom, where the car has since been replaced by the Verso-S, have praised the space and the driving characteristics whilst passing adverse comment on the car's appearance. The vehicle earned the nickname of "ice cream van" due to its boxy appearance and shape. Mini MPV Mini MPVs are typically based on

128-497: A record month with an increase of 54 percent. However, low fuel prices and the added room in SUVs impacted subcompact sales negatively in the late 2010s. During this period, industry executives and analysts said that the subcompact car market was returning to historical norms after an unusual period when manufacturers had expanded small car lineups in anticipation of rising demand fueled by rising fuel prices, which has since eased. In

160-527: A touch of sliding seat tomfoolery in the back.... what we are seeing with the mini-MPV is the re-invention of the hatchback, nothing more. It's a good idea, and long overdue, but that's all it is." In the late 2010s, the mini MPV segment has shrunk with many consumers opting to buy B-segment ( subcompact ) crossover SUVs that offer similar practicality with better design and capability. Many manufacturers chose to discontinue its models in favour of subcompact crossover SUVs, having 13 models in 2013 competing in

192-460: Is a North American classification for cars smaller than a compact car . It is broadly equivalent to the B-segment (Europe), supermini (Great Britain) or A0-class (China) classifications. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) car size class definition, the subcompact category sits between the "minicompact" and " compact " categories. The EPA definition of a subcompact

224-638: Is a passenger car with a combined interior and cargo volume of 85–99 cubic feet (2,410–2,800 L). Current examples of subcompact cars are the Nissan Versa and Mitsubishi Mirage . The smaller cars in the A-segment/city car category (such as the Chevrolet Spark and Smart Fortwo) are sometimes called subcompacts in the U.S., because the EPA's name for this smaller category — "minicompact" —

256-412: Is also often used as a taxi, especially in large Japanese cities. The car was available with 1.3- and 1.5-litre petrol engines and in 2001, a 1.4-litre D-4D diesel version was introduced. In Japan, there was also a four-wheel drive version of the 1.5-litre model (NCP25). All vehicles were equipped with a four-speed automatic transmission there. Additionally, Steer Shiftmatic was standard equipment on

288-549: Is not commonly used by the general public. The prevalence of small cars in the United States increased in the 1960s due to increased imports of cars from Europe and Japan. Widespread use of the term subcompact coincided with the early 1970s increase in subcompact cars built in the United States. Early 1970s subcompacts include the AMC Gremlin , Chevrolet Vega , and Ford Pinto . The term subcompact originated during

320-570: Is small, several cars that match the description of a European mini MPV are marketed in the region as another category, as the 'mini MPV' phrase is not commonly used by journalists, manufacturers and regulators. An example is the Kia Soul, which is prominently marketed as a subcompact crossover SUV or a subcompact hatchback. In 2018, sales of mini-MPVs in Europe represented 1% of the total market. The top five selling mini-MPVs in Europe in 2018 were

352-637: The Citroën C3 Picasso , and the Opel Crossland X replacing the Opel Meriva . Both offered more headroom and legroom space compared to normal B-segment/subcompact hatchbacks. B-segment SUVs usually ride higher, feature a higher and longer bonnet, equipped with black plastic overfenders or body kits, and marketed as such. Mini MPVs (also called small MPVs, sometimes also mixed or used interchangeably with compact MPV class) apart from

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384-481: The Fiat 500L , Honda Fit/Jazz , Hyundai ix20 , Kia Venga and Ford B-Max . The sales trend for previous years is: In the United States, the mini-MPV category has included the Fiat 500L , with 30,000 sales from 2013 to 2017. In Canada, as of 2013, the market for mini-MPV's was not "large, and even the overarching minivan segment is gradually shrinking as the industry expands." Subcompact Subcompact car

416-686: The Ford Mustang II temporarily downsized from the pony car class to become a subcompact car for its second generation. The Monza with its GM variants Pontiac Sunbird , Buick Skyhawk , Oldsmobile Starfire , and the Mustang II continued until the end of the decade. The Chevrolet Chevette was GM's new entry-level subcompact introduced as a 1976 model. It was an 'Americanized' design from Opel , GM's German subsidiary. Additionally, subcompacts that were imported and marketed through domestic manufacturers' dealer networks as captive imports included

448-575: The Renault Le Car and the Ford Fiesta . In 1977, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began to use a new vehicle classification system, based on interior volume instead of exterior size. Sedans with up to 100 cubic feet of passenger luggage volume were classified as subcompact. There was not a separate subcompact station wagon class with all up to 130 cubic feet of volume classified as "small." In 1978, Volkswagen began producing

480-715: The Suzuki Cultus (a three-cylinder hatchback, badged as the Chevrolet Sprint) and the Isuzu Gemini (a four-cylinder hatchback/sedan badged as the Chevrolet Spectrum). Subcompact cars were highly popular in the 1990s due to their affordability and fuel efficiency. These cars typically had engines under 1.6 liters and were ideal for city driving. During the 1990s GM offered the Geo brand featuring

512-401: The platform of a B-segment (supermini/subcompact) hatchback, with a raised roof and five-door body. The raised roof allows for higher H-point seating and easy passenger access compared with traditional hatchbacks. Often the rear seats can recline, slide, tumble, fold flat or easily be removed, allowing users to reconfigure the rear passenger and cargo volumes for each journey. The segment

544-645: The "Rabbit" version of the Golf — a modern, front-wheel drive design— in Pennsylvania. In 1982, American Motors began manufacturing the U.S. Renault Alliance — a version of the Renault 9 — in Wisconsin. Both models benefiting from European designs, development, and experience. To replace the aging Chevette in the second half of the 1980s, Chevrolet introduced marketed imported front-wheel drive subcompact cars:

576-551: The 1939 Crosley . From the 1950s onwards, various imported small cars were sold in the U.S., including the Nash Metropolitan , Volkswagen Beetle , and various small British cars. The term subcompact did not yet exist, so the Metropolitan was labeled a "compact or economy car" and marketed as a second vehicle for use around town, not as a primary car. The Volkswagen Beetle was marketed with advertising pointing out

608-482: The 1960s. However, it came into popular use in the early 1970s, as car manufacturers in the United States began to introduce smaller cars into their line-up. Previously, cars in this size were variously categorized, including "small cars" or "economy cars". Several of these small cars were produced in the U.S. in limited volumes, including the 1930 American Austin (later called the American Bantam) and

640-723: The G trim level. The car received the 20th 1999-2000 Japan Car of the Year along with the Vitz and the Platz. In Japan, there were 16 colors at the beginning of the car's introduction, 18 colors for the facelift model (including the Active Two-Tone specification vehicles), and the interior color comes only in Shadow Gray and French Turquoise in the pre-facelift model and black in the facelift model. Toyota Modellista International sold

672-628: The Suzuki-built Metro subcompact. Subcompact cars of the 1990s typically featured a small footprint, lightweight design, and engines with displacements generally under 1.6 liters. They were designed to provide maximum interior space while maintaining a compact exterior, making them ideal for city driving and parking. Several models defined the subcompact car market during the 1990s. Some of the most notable include: The 1990s focused on fuel efficiency and emissions, leading to innovations in fuel injection and aerodynamics. These subcompacts set

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704-420: The United States, the segment experienced a 50 percent drop in sales in the first half of 2020 compared to 2019. In Canada, the subcompact share of the car market shrank to 1.6 percent for the year ending 2020, down from 2.4 percent in 2019. As a result, manufacturers stopped offering subcompact models and focused on larger cars instead, including subcompact crossover SUVs which offer higher profit margins and

736-453: The beginning. The rear seat has an underfloor and forward storage function, making it easy to set up a large luggage compartment. It has the largest cabin volume and storage space of any compact car at the time, as things such as bicycles and large cross bikes can be stored using the standard hooks. Utilizing this volume, it has also been used for camping purposes and as a nursing and welfare vehicle that allows easy access for wheelchair users. It

768-506: The car was introduced in 1997 at the 32nd Tokyo Motor Show . Unlike the bB , which is also based on the Yaris, the design has a strong intonation in line with European tastes at that time. The wheelbase is 130 mm (5.1 in) longer than the Yaris. The Yaris Verso adopted a center gauge layout on the instrument panel, and along with the Platz released at the same time, ISOFIX-compatible rear seats were standard equipment on all models from

800-550: The car's unconventional features as strengths and to get buyers to "think small." Prompted by the British government for exports, Ford was one of the first companies to try and sell inexpensive small cars in volume. From 1948 to 1970, approximately 250,000 economical English Fords were imported to the US while over 235,000 went to Canada. Models such as the 1960 Ford Anglia were promoted as "The world's most exciting light car." Due to

832-462: The cars matching the European definition could also include B-segment MPVs with three rows of seats with the length shorter than 4.2–4.3 metres (165.4–169.3 in). They are also sometimes equipped with rear sliding doors. This category is common in Japan, Southeast Asia and India, where cars with a smaller footprint and large cabin space are preferred. Although mini MPV presence in this region

864-531: The increasing popularity of small cars imported from Europe and Japan during the late 1960s, the American manufacturers began releasing competing locally-built models in the early 1970s. The AMC Gremlin was described at its April 1970 introduction as "the first American-built import" and the first U.S. built subcompact car. Also introduced in 1970 were the Chevrolet Vega and Ford Pinto . Plans for

896-504: The segment with total sales volume of 450,897 units, and just six years later having only four models in 2019 with 93,720 sold. In terms of practicality and its basic form, this category often overlaps with the similar B-segment ( subcompact ) crossover SUV . Several manufacturers have introduced a crossover SUV to replace mini MPVs in Europe due to dwindling sales; the examples are the Citroën C3 Aircross , which replaced

928-483: The stage for modern small cars, emphasizing efficiency and reliability. Because of consumer demand for fuel-efficient cars during the mid- to late-2000s, sales of subcompact cars made them the fastest growing market category in the U.S. In 2006, three major subcompact models were introduced to the market, the Toyota Yaris , Honda Fit , and Nissan Versa . These models were released by their manufacturers to aim at

960-506: The subcompact AMC Gremlin pre-dated Vega and Pinto by several years because of AMC's strategy to recognize emerging market opportunities ahead of the competition. Sales of American-built "low weight cars" (including subcompacts) accounted for more than 30% of total car sales in 1972 and 1973, despite inventory shortages for several models. The Gremlin, Pinto and Vega were all rear-wheel drive and available with four-cylinder engines (the Pinto

992-756: Was also available with a V6 engine, and the Gremlin was also available with I6 and V8 engines). The Pontiac Astre , the Canadian-originated re-badged Vega variant was released in the U.S. in September 1974. Due to falling sales of the larger pony cars (such as the Chevrolet Camaro and first-generation Ford Mustang) in the mid-1970s, the Vega-based Chevrolet Monza was introduced as an upscale subcompact and

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1024-443: Was created as a result of the diversification of minivans in the late 1990s. An early usage of the term mini-MPV was in 2000, although the vehicles referred to at the time would now be classified as compact MPVs . Writing for The Daily Telegraph in 2004, noted automotive journalist James May wrote that mini-MPV's "are invariably based on an existing hatchback, but offer more headroom, extra 'oddments storage'... and perhaps

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