It is not very common for a small car to make the petrolheads hum, but that is exactly what the Toyota GR Yaris did.
Since its launch last year, GR Yaris has generated the kind of hype that few other hot hatches in recent memory have generated, with the possible exception of the third generation Ford Focus RS in 2015. It carries serious motoring credentials and is a homologation own special for the street. We recently had the opportunity to test it over the course of a week.
Watch also: Can a Stock GR Yaris overcome a GT-R Nismo on a short track on a very rainy day?
There are two variants of the GR Yaris available in Australia, the standard model and the Rallye. Toyota Australia decided to launch the car locally in its entry form first, which means that you won’t have Torsen limited slip differentials, track-adjusted suspension, 18-inch forged BBS wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires that come as standard in Rallye (also known as Circuit Pack in some markets). As the GR Yaris Rallye is not yet available for Down Under analysis, it is the basic model that we tested.
Both the basic GR Yaris and the Rallye are powered by a 1.6 liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine. The cars delivered by Australia land on the same specifications as those in Japan, which means that this engine is rated at 200 kW (268 hp) at 6,500 rpm and 370 Nm (273 lb-ft) of torque between 3,000 and 4,600 rpm, a little more than the 192 kW (257 hp) and 266 lb-ft (360 Nm) tuning that is available in other markets, such as Europe. Along with the engine is a six-speed manual transmission that transmits power through a four-wheel drive system and Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tires. More on those tires later …
The car is small. In fact, it measures just 3,995 mm long, 1,805 mm wide and 1,455 mm high, with a 2,560 mm wheelbase. At first glance, the wheelbase may seem tiny, but it’s only 10 mm shorter than a Hyundai i30 N. What Toyota designers and engineers did was to push the wheels to the edge of the car, resulting in small front and rear wheels. rear overhangs.
Impressive performance, great gearbox
Most three-cylinder engines on the market are just as boring to use as watching the paint dry. This is not the case with GR Yaris.
Not only is the compact three-cylinder engine with 1.6-liter turbocharger almost as powerful as the four pots that drive most other hot hatches, but it has a character that few rivals can match. It produces a surprisingly loud sound across the entire rotation range, and although some of that sound is pumped into the cabin, it immediately puts a smile on your face. It’s the same story with the exhaust note. But it is not the sound that is the best thing about this engine; rather, it is your willingness to rev.
Toyota says peak power reaches 6,500 rpm, but you can continue to accelerate the GR Yaris to 7,000 rpm and it just loves it. The engine is also very fuel efficient, as we averaged 11.2 l / 100 km (21 US mpg) throughout the week, not bad considering how we were driving. A comparable four-cylinder hot hatch conducted in the same manner would average between 13 l / 100 km (18 US mpg) and 14 l / 100 (16.8 US mpg).
Then we get to the gearbox. Not only was the gearbox positioned perfectly, but the gear shift is among the best in the segment, behind only the Honda Civic Type R. The gear is also quite short, allowing you to enjoy gear shifting and accelerating the engine at the same time . Off-line, Toyota says the car needs 5.2 seconds to reach 100 km / h (62 mph), but it seems faster than when second gear reaches its peak just before that mark, forcing you to change for the third to exceed 100 clicks.
A car that thrives when pushed
Much has been said about the car’s all-wheel-drive system, especially since most GR rivals have front-wheel drive. The four-wheel drive system benefits not only acceleration, but results in phenomenal levels of grip. Three driving modes are available for the car; Normal with 60:40 front-rear power split, Track with 50:50 power split and Sport with 30:70 front-rear power split.
I spent most of the week driving in Sport mode, and while that doesn’t make the GR Yaris look like rear-wheel drive, you can feel the rear start to turn in sustained turns and steeper, steeper turns. It is exceptionally easy to steer the hatch created for rally in the grip limits and, even if you go beyond them, it is easy to make the correct corrections.
Driving is an ace. Braking is an asset. The driving experience as a whole is great. However, not everything is perfect with the basic model.
During my first trip with the GR Yaris through a mountain pass with long and wide curves, I was very impressed with the grip provided by Dunlop tires. However, as the week progressed and I started testing the car on tighter turns, the limits of these tires and the lack of LSDs became apparent.
If you make a sharp turn quickly, the tires sing in agony and you can push the car to turn more easily than with the i30 N and the Civic Type R. Likewise, if you apply too much accelerator in a turn, the fault of limited-slip diffs can send you away. This is a car that requires smooth and precise driving. A set of stickier tires would do wonders and we will endeavor to test the GR Yaris Rallye soon to see how much difference LSDs and Michelin rubber make.
Then there are the seats …
However, it wasn’t the tires or the open differentials that were my biggest complaint with the car. It was the sitting position. Many high-performance cars have the seat rails bolted to the floor, but for some reason Toyota assembled the GR Yaris seats on steel towers that are more than seven centimeters from the floor. This will probably not be a concern for many buyers, but for those over 6 feet, it results in a high and tight steering position. It is even worse if you are carrying a tall passenger, as the passenger seat cannot be lowered. The seats are mounted so high that the supports are above the line of the side sills.
With the exception of the seating position, the rest of the car’s cabin is pleasant and equal to its rivals. The set of simple gauges is a main highlight, as well as the beautiful steering wheel. The seats also offer a lot of support and prevent you from sliding from side to side during an animated direction. There is also a stereo system of eight JBL speakers (although not very good) and a 7.0 inch infotainment system that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
As standard, all basic GR Yaris models in Australia include head-up display, adaptive cruise control, lane tracking assistance, road sign assistance and autonomous emergency braking with cycling detection, features available only in the ‘Convenience Pack ‘offered in other markets.
Worthy of the hype?
The first 1,000 copies of the GR Yaris were sold in Australia for AU $ 39,950 (US $ 30,981) and, although Toyota thought it could take up to 18 months to sell them, it only took five days. No wonder that, at that price, it was an absolute bargain. Since then, the price has been raised to AU $ 49,950 (US $ 38,736) for road costs, approaching the total value of AU $ 53,500 (US $ 41,489), or about AU $ 5,000 (US $ 3,877) less than Honda Civic Type 2021 R. The flagship GR Yaris Rallye will cost Australians $ 54,500 ($ 42,265) before road costs.
There is no doubt that the Toyota GR Yaris is a phenomenal hatch. It is a joy to drive, whether you are wandering around the city or making your way down a gorge road. The world is a better place with this powerful rally car, but to fully understand how good it is, we need to test the Rallye version. Stay tuned.
