Toyota has released a minor model change of its popular Passo hatchback. The five door compact is sold in Japan and Europe under various brands and slots in, size-wise, between a Yaris and the now-defunct Matrix.
Though styling remains largely the same, except with just an updated front fascia and grille, the real story is in the reworked engines, which claim a 30 percent increase over the previous versions, exceeding the Japanese government’s strict 2015 efficiency standards. This is no small feat, considering that the two outgoing small displacement engines were already quite thrifty to begin with.
The new base 1.0-liter 3-cylinder mill, available on front- and all-wheel drive configurations, may output only 68hp and 68 lb-ft of torque, but is capable of a whopping 61 mpg on the Japanese driving cycle. Efficiency improvements come courtesy of a raised compression ratio, optimized valve timing and reduced internal friction. A 1.3-liter available only on front-drive models generates 94hp and 89 lb-ft while returning 45 mpg.
The Passo is also sold as the Daihatsu Boon in Japan, the Daihatsu Sirion and (briefly) the Subaru Justy in Europe, and the Perodua Myvi in southern Asia.
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