The Toyota Ist is the Toyota that answered a simple question — how much car can this badge carry? — with 64 kW from 1.3 . It was built from 2002 to 2016, in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids. Its designer of record is Masanari Sakae (2000).
How it came about
The Toyota Ist (Japanese: トヨタ・ist (イスト), Toyota Isuto) (stylised as ist) is a subcompact car manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota. It is exported to the United States as the Scion xA and Scion xD, the Middle East as the Toyota xA and to Europe and Latin America as the Toyota Urban Cruiser for the second generation. The Ist, the sixth brand to use the Vitz as the base model, was conceived as a high-end multi-use compact car with SUV-like styling and wagon-like roominess. The car was fitted with either a 1.3-liter (FWD) or a 1.5-liter engine (FWD or 4WD), with a Super ECT transmission. A wide front grille consisting of two thick horizontal bars, large 15-inch tires, and extended wheel arches gave the vehicle its unique and dynamic exterior styling.
The body dimensions were a notch above those of the Vitz, giving more space to the cabin and the trunk. The 6:4 split rear seats could be fully folded to widen the deck as necessary. The sturdy body structure was realized through the advanced GOA (Global Outstanding Assessment) process, which enhanced safety in collisions with heavier vehicles. In Japan, it was available at Toyota dealerships Netz Store (first and second generation models) and Toyopet Store (pre-facelift first generation model only). The car's name is derived from the suffix "-ist," the name points to a person who is passionate about something (stylist, artist, specialist, and so on).
The hardware
Under the skin sits 1.3 it is rated at 64 kW; other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. Kerb weight is 1000 –. Power-to-weight lands near 64 horsepower per tonne, which is unhurried — enough for the job, not for the bragging. The gearbox is a 5-speed Manual transmission / manual / 4-speed Automatic transmission / automatic. The wheelbase is 2370 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Family and rivals
Where it sits in Toyota's history is not in doubt: the Toyota Yaris Cross followed it; it was built at Kanegasaki, Iwate (Kanto Auto Works), Japan. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Suzuki Lapin, the Opel Frogster, the Mitsubishi Grandis. Its Toyota stablemates include the Toyota Agya and the Toyota Calya.