Toyota · 1999–2020

Toyota Vitz

The Toyota Vitz (Japanese: トヨタ・ヴィッツ, Hepburn: Toyota Vittsu) is a subcompact car produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota from 1999 to 2019 in a three- or five-door hatchback body styles. The "Vitz" nameplate was used consistently in Japan, while most international markets received the same vehicle as the Toyota Yaris, or as the Toyota Echo in some markets for the first generation. The Vitz was available in Japan from Toyota's Netz Store dealerships. Toyota began production in Japan and later assembled the vehicle in other Asian countries and in France. By 2010, the first two generations had achieved in excess of 3.5 million sales in over 70 countries, including more than 1.4 million in Japan. In 2019, the "Vitz" nameplate was dropped in Japan due to faltering sales and the unification of the Toyota sales network there, and the vehicle was replaced by the XP210 series Yaris. Since 2023, the nameplate has been used for a rebadged third-generation Suzuki Celerio sold in Africa.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Toyota Starlet|Toyota Agya · Successor: Toyota Yaris (XP210)

All Toyota Vitz data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

First generation (XP10/XP20; 1999)

The first generation XP10 series Vitz was designed by Sotiris Kovos at Toyota's ED2 studio in Europe. It was first unveiled at the 1998 Paris Motor Show. Production began in late 1998, with a Japanese on-sale date of January 1999; European sales commenced two months later as the "Toyota Yaris". When introduced to Australasia in October 1999, the "Toyota Echo" name was used, as was the case in Canada when released there in 2003 for the 2004 model year. The "Echo" and "Yaris" names were also given to the export version of the related Japanese market Toyota Platz sedan, also available as a coupé in North America. Often sold alongside the hatchback and marketed as a single line of vehicles, exterior panels common between the Vitz and Platz were restricted to the front doors. However, as Vitz and Platz were designed using the same platform, the mechanicals are largely identical and both share a common dashboard module. There was also a "Yaris Verso" or "Echo Verso" variant sold in some export markets from late 1999, based on the Japanese "Toyota FunCargo". The Verso MPV utilizes the same running gear as the Vitz, but features a more spacious interior. At its introduction in 1999, it won the Car of the Year Japan Award. What became the XP10 series was shown earlier in concept form at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show. This concept, titled "Funtime" was developed under the leadership of Shuhei Toyoda, who also commissioned two additional models based on the same platform: the "Funcoupe" and the "Funcargo", the predecessor to the forthcoming production model FunCargo. Styled in Brussels by Toyota's European Office of Creation (EPOC), the "Fun project" as it was known, was envisaged to underline the versatility of shared platform engineering. These concept vehicles morphed into the

Second generation (XP90; 2005)

Toyota redesigned the Vitz in early 2005, going on sale in Japan that February. The Yaris family (Vitz and including the Belta) was developed under the lead of chief engineer Kousuke Shibahara. While the previous generation Vitz hatchback and Platz sedan look and feel virtually alike, the redesigned XP90 Vitz and Belta are more subtly related in terms of appearance. The two cars share underpinnings, notably the frame and the drivetrain components, however the sheet metal and interior is different. While the Vitz was designed at Toyota's European ED2 design studios, the Belta was designed at their Japanese design studios. The Vitz platform was larger in all metrics, to create a larger interior space on par with vehicles in the segment above. It had a short overhangs and cab-forward design. The Vitz has nine airbags for some models. The European, Australian, Canadian, Mexican, Venezuelan and Puerto Rican markets received the second-generation Vitz near the end of 2005. In the Australia and North America, the car was sold under the Yaris nameplate for the first time; the Belta is also sold there but with the nameplate Yaris sedan. The production Yaris for the US market was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in January 2006. The XP90 series Yaris was built in Japan, France, Thailand, China and Taiwan. The previous 4-cylinder 1.0 VVT-i engine was replaced by the 3-cylinder engine also found in the Toyota Aygo. The 1.3-litre engine was revised to offer slightly more power, and the 1.4 D-4D got a 15 PS (11 kW; 15 hp) boost to 90 PS (66 kW; 89 hp), the former engine allowing it to achieve exceptional fuel economy. For the European market in early 2009 the Yaris added a 1.33-litre engine with Stop & Start technology. The Vitz also received a minor facelift in 2009 with sli

Third generation (XP130; 2010)

The third generation Vitz was introduced in December 2010 featuring a redesigned front fascia, roomier interior, single windshield wiper and instrument cluster relocated in front of the driver. In European countries, the Yaris was also offered in 6-speed manual transmission for the 1.33L engine, or a CVT transmission often marketed as "7-speed MultiDrive" or "MultiDrive S". The 7-speed refers to the possibility to select a predefined gear ratio among 7 available, emulating a 7-speed sequential gearbox, with steering wheel levers. Safety. === Recall === On 10 October 2012, Toyota recalled 7.4 million vehicles worldwide, including certain Vitz, Yaris and Corolla models, due to malfunctioning power windows. They include: 2.47 million in the United States, 1.4 million in China and 1.39 million in Europe. Facelift (2014). In 2014, a facelift version was introduced and marketed in North America, Europe, Australia and Japan — the latter as the Vitz. North America and Australia models featured a 1.5-litre, 77 kW (103 hp) engine with a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. In Europe, it was offered with a 1.33-litre engine, coupled with a six-speed manual or a CVT automatic. The facelift was designed by Toyota Europe, where previous iterations had been designed in Japan. Facelift (2017). On 12 January 2017, a second facelift version of the Vitz was launched in Japan. It was also offered with a hybrid drivetrain. The second facelift version of the Yaris has been available in Europe and Australia since March 2017 and in South Africa and North America since June 2017. The North American version was revealed at the April 2017 New York International Auto Show. The South African models were later replaced by the facelifted XP150 series Yaris hatchback. Safety. === Hybrid === Th

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Specifications

name: Toyota Vitz
Manufacturer: Toyota
aka: Toyota Yaris, Toyota Echo (Oceania and North America, 1999–2005), Daihatsu Charade (Europe, 2011–2013)
Production: January 1999 – June 2020
Class: Subcompact car/Supermini (B)
Body style: 3/5-door hatchback
Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, Front-engine, four-wheel-drive (Japan only)
Predecessor: Toyota Starlet
Successor: Toyota Yaris (XP210) (Japan, Europe and Australasia), Toyota Yaris hatchback (XP150) (parts of Asia and South Africa), Toyota Yaris hatchback (DJ) (North America)

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6151318CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_VitzCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1376772236 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Toyota_Vitz_KSP130_1.0F.jpgCC0 · Photo: Ypy31 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.