Australia’s advertising regulators have banned a Toyota Yaris commercial claiming that it could “influence people to speed and is “very dangerous”.
The short ad, which promoted the entire Yaris family Down Under, showed the GR Yaris power sliding for a couple of seconds while leaving the garage and then driving fast on a dirt road, so it supposedly broke two codes: unsafe driving and breaking the speed limit.
According to CarExpert, Toyota said that it “takes the opinion of the complaint very seriously. However, it is our belief that the advertisement does not contravene the FCAI (Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries) code, or the applicable laws and regulations that govern community roads and driving standards.”
Related: VW Golf Ad Pulled After Being Called Racist, Treating Blacks As Puppets
The automaker’s opinion was partially shared by the Advertising Standards Bureau, who noted that the hot hatch did not promote driving beyond the speed limit, but the fact that it lost traction did constitute “unsafe driving”.
Toyota will have to review the ad and edit it before it will be shown again.
Launched in Australia last fall with an introductory price of AU$39,950 (US$31,102) for the first 1,000 units, and a full MSRP of AU$49,500 (US$38,537) after that, the GR Yaris is offered in a single trim level. It comes with a JBL sound system, smartphone integration, automatic air-con, suede and leather upholstery and others.
Power is provided by a turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder with 200 kW (272 PS / 268 HP) and 370 Nm (273 lb-ft) of torque, which is identical to the version sold in Japan, whereas the Euro-spec model has 192 kW (261 PS / 257 HP) and 360 Nm (266 lb-ft).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic94cRTbK48