Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (TMMF) today held an official ceremony to mark the start of production on May 6 of its Toyota Yaris compact car for export to the United States of America, Canada and Puerto Rico.

The model produced is the conventional gas Yaris and annual export volume will be around 25,000 units on a full-year basis.

No word yet on whether or not the Yaris Hybrid will also cross the ocean.

From the small Northern French town of Onnaing, near Valenciennes, TMMF will now export its vehicles to more than 40 countries, including destinations like South Africa, Egypt, Canada and the United States of America.

“Building on more than 10 years of experience in high quality car production, this Yaris is another endorsement of TMMF’s excellence in manufacturing,” said Makoto Sano, President of TMMF. “We are proud to be recognized as a true player in the Toyota organization and welcome this new business opportunity to further strengthen TMMF’s position as an important exporter in France.”

“With Quebec accounting for 65 percent of Yaris’ Canadian sales, a warm welcome will be assured for this ‘Made-in-France’ vehicle,” said Seiji Ichii, President and CEO of Toyota Canada Inc.

The Toyota Yaris became the first vehicle ever produced in France to be certified with the new “French Origin Guaranteed” (“Origine France Garantie”) label.

This certificate was created in order to help customers identify products that have more than 50% of their value manufactured in France.

The current, third generation Toyota Yaris was launched in Europe in the summer of 2011, followed by the Toyota Yaris Hybrid in June 2012. In an overall declining B-segment, the Yaris model range grew 27 percent in 2012 compared to 2011, mainly supported by strong sales of the Yaris Hybrid.

With sales of 182,841 vehicles, the Yaris model accounted for nearly 22 percent of Toyota’s total European sales in 2012.

In the U.S., Toyota sold 30,590 Yaris (hatch and sedan) in 2012. Total sales of the Yaris hatchback in Canada for 2012 was 8,440 units.

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The Yaris entered the Toyota lineup in model-year 2007 as a replacement for the dorky Echo. Offered initially in both a two-door hatchback model—which Toyota calls “Liftback”—and a sedan, the Yaris is generally considered the leader of the subcompact triumvirate, which includes the Honda Fit and the Nissan Versa. A four-door hatchback body style was added in 2009. This gives the Yaris an immediate advantage over many other subcompacts, simply for the reason that it offers three separate variants (unlike the Fit and Versa). And visually, what sets the Yaris apart is its deliberate urban persona. Originally designed for the tight metro centers of Europe and Asia, the Yaris is highly citified.

For 2011, styling carries over from 2010. The only new feature is a sunvisor extension for the two hatchbacks—a small item, but needed because of the large glass area.

Due to its efficient four-cylinder, 106 horsepower engine, the Yaris is certified as an EPA Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV-II) achieving fuel economy numbers of 29 city/36 highway with its five-speed manual transmission. The four-speed automatic comes in at 29 city/35 highway. Those figures top both the Nissan Versa (28/34) and the Honda Fit (28/35).

Exterior

The Yaris’s urban flavor makes it a favorite among city-dwellers. It picks up many styling cues from its Scion cousins. The Yaris looks more refined and spirited than most other subcompacts, with its snub nose, wide stance, and unique geometry.

From front to back the two hatchbacks measure a taut 150.6 inches, making them by far the smallest of the three majors. They are almost 19 inches shorter than the Nissan Versa, and about seven inches shorter than the Honda Fit. Weighing in at slightly over 2,300 pounds, the Yaris hatchbacks are the most lightweight among their friends. That kind of trimness is indicative of just how waste-free this automobile is.

And for what it’s worth, the four-door hatch probably is the best looking of the three offerings, and the body offers the greatest versatility from the smallest footprint, an advantage for in-town maneuverability.

The more traditional-looking Yaris sedan is a much longer vehicle—169.3 inches versus 150.6 inches—sharing few body parts with the hatchbacks. Toyota kept the overall shape and design of the sedan a little less playful looking with a higher arch on the roofline and a slightly thinner stance.

At the 2011 Geneva Motor Show Toyota took the wraps off the Yaris Hybrid, expected to go on sale in Europe next year. The sophisticated exterior design is a dramatic departure from the current edition with a monoform shape emphasized by a long, sweeping roofline. There is no word if or when it will come to the U.S. or if a gasoline model will be part of the lineup. The new look would go a long way to spark Yaris sales, which have been sliding downwards of late.

Interior

The hard plastic materials used in the Yaris shout “basic transportation.” Though Yaris replaced the Echo, it kept one feature that should have been dropped when Echo was. The gauge cluster is positioned in the top center of the dash rather than the more orthodox—and easier to see—position directly in front of the driver. There is also no meter to view fuel economy, which shoppers for such a car would probably want to know.

On the plus side, all three versions have tall rooflines for comfortable, upright seating and generous headroom. Visibility through large glass windows and unobstructed sight lines make the Yaris an easy car to drive.

That great maneuverability of the hatchbacks translates into micro-wagon cargo versatility, something to consider in an automobile barely 12 feet long. While back seats can easily accommodate either front- or rear-facing infant seats, the small 9.3 cubic feet cargo area is not well suited to haul strollers and other baby paraphernalia.

The rear seatbacks do fold down to expand cargo capacity from 9.3 cubic feet to an adequate 25.7 cubic feet in the hatchback models, but when lowered they are several inches higher than the cargo floor. The sedan offers 13.7 cubic feet, the same as the Versa sedan. For comparison, the Fit’s total cargo volume is an expansive 41.9 cubic feet, a significant advantage in this area. If carting gear is your primary concern, the Yaris may not be your first choice.

On the Road

Getting from Point A to point B, performance is about what is expected from a 106 hp four-cylinder engine, not great, but not awful, considering the power-to-fuel-consumption trade-off. The four doesn’t have a lot of muscle, but the Yaris’s light weight provides adequate, though leisurely acceleration. The five-speed manual transmission works best with the engine to mange power to the front wheels. Unfortunately there is no tachometer on the sedan, so shifts are made by engine sound and seat-of-the-pants feel. (Tachometers were added to hatchbacks last year.) The outdated four-speed automatic, with its poky shifts and widely spaced ratios makes the engine work hard to keep up with traffic—a behavior that reduces fuel economy.

Yaris is a great around town car and feels, in typical Toyota fashion, solidly built. Turns feel secure as long as speeds don’t exceed the moderate grip of the narrow 15-inch standard tires. And ride quality over bumps and potholes is fairly compliant for such a lightweight.

It is less at home on the open road, however, with lots of steering corrections to maintain your intended path. It also doesn’t react well to cross winds or a passing semi truck, which can abruptly nudge the little car sideways, requiring two hands on the steering wheel at all times. Road, wind and engine noise are not very well suppressed, so it isn’t a pleasant highway cruiser.

Safety in small cars is an important consideration, and Toyota elevated safety features on the Yaris to equal its competitors. Standard safety gear on all three cars now includes anti-lock brakes, traction control, an anti-skid system and head-protecting curtain side airbags.

Economics

With wallets still hurting and fuel prices heading back toward “arm and a leg,” the Yaris looks to be in the right place at the right time. But before you head out with checkbook in hand, that low price and high mileage mean making some sacrifices.

Yaris pricing starts at $12,955 for the two-door hatchback, $13,255 for the four-door hatch. The sedan has a sticker price of $13,715. But keep in mind, the base models are bare bones, and the price will climb quickly when you start to add options (which you most certainly will). The Fit, in comparison, comes with more standard equipment for its higher base price.

For the base price you’ll have to do without such basics as a radio and CD player. For that you’ll have to come with $840-$960, depending on model and transmission choice, for the Convenience Package. Want power windows, door locks and mirrors? That’s $1,525-$1,780 for the Power Package but does include an AM/FM/CD audio system.

Among the top subcompacts, the Yaris (29 city/36 highway) is virtually the most fuel-efficient gas engine car on the road. And it has a travel range close to 350 miles between fill-ups. That’s about as good as it gets for a non-hybrid vehicle. Add to that the low price and perhaps the most refined design of all the subcompacts, the Yaris is both economically and stylistically impressive. That’s difficult for competitors to top.

Prices are Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) at time of publication and do not include destination charges, taxes or licensing.

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Toyota wants those cost- and fuel-conscious customers, especially in Europe where small cars rule. The company debuted the Toyota Yaris Hybrid at this week’s 2011 Geneva Motor Show—showing that it intends to downsize its proven full hybrid technology. The Yaris Hybrid is expected to go on sale in Europe next year. It’s still too early to know if it will come to the United States.

While Honda will utilize a mild form of gas-electric technology for its small hybrids, Toyota’s system is a full hybrid capable of moving the car down the road on electricity alone. According to Toyota, the company plans to bring full hybrid technology to all of its European models in the next decade. “Two years ago, 8 percent of European customers said they wanted their next vehicle to be a hybrid,” said Didier Leroy, President of Toyota Motor Europe. “Today that figure has doubled, to 16 percent.”

Unlike Honda’s existing mild hybrid technology–which might be a more immediate fit for small cars—Toyota engineers will need to work on packaging its electric system into a smaller space. That could mean reducing the size and weight of the battery pack used in current models. All systems will have to be optimized for the smaller format.

To help draw attention to the unassuming Yaris hybrid subcompact concept on display in Geneva, Toyota applied a solar panel to its roof. The solar panel could help power the car’s air-conditioning, making a modest improvement in overall fuel efficiency.

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