Toyota GR Yaris officially breaks cover with specs

TOYOTA has finally ripped the covers off one of the most highly anticipated performance cars in recent years, the GR Yaris, along with all of the technical data revealing how much punch the hot hatch upstart will pack.

Starting with such a small platform, it makes sense Toyota fitted the GR Yaris with a small engine – a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol three-cylinder – but there is nothing small about its power outputs – 200kW of power and 370Nm of torque.

Delivering its power to all four wheels via a six-speed manual transmission, Toyota says the hyperactive little engine can slingshot the car from 0-100km/h in less than 5.5 seconds before going on to an electronically limited top speed of 230km/h.

According to Toyota Australia sales and marketing vice president Sean Hanley, the GR Yaris draws on the brand’s rich sportscar heritage including the Toyota 800, 2000GT, Celica, Supra, Corolla AE86, MR2 and more recently 86.

“The GR Yaris is an exciting, well-rounded vehicle that exemplifies Toyota's commitment to producing ever-better cars, offering compelling performance that will appeal to a broad range of enthusiasts,” he said.

“It is a rally car for the road that pushes vehicle performance to the limit and will enhance the image of the Toyota and Yaris brands,” he said.

Weighing in at 1280kg, the GR Yaris boasts a power-to-weight ratio of 6.4kg/kW and was developed by Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) and Tommi Mäkinen Racing, the Japanese giant’s WRC partner.

Measuring in at just under four-metres long and 1.8m wide, the car rides on a mixture of Macpherson strut (front) and double wishbone (rear) suspension with 18-inch wheels clad in sticky 225/40 Dunlop SP Sport MAXX050 tyres.

Braking duties come courtesy of four-pot callipers up front gripping 356mm ventilated discs while a twin-piston set-up grabs 297mm rear discs – also ventilated.

Sporting a lower roofline (91mm lower), wide track, bigger intakes, flared wheel arches, unique spoiler and twin exhaust tips, the body has been made using carbon-fibre polymer and aluminium while the platform and aforementioned suspension is all-new.

Drivers will be able to choose from three distinct driver modes which alter the default front and rear torque split of the AWD system – 60:40 in Normal, 30:70 in Sport and 50:50 in Track.

To increase driver safety and maximise performance however, the system will automatically adjust the distribution in response to the driver's inputs, vehicle behaviour and road or track conditions.

According to Toyota, the GR Yaris will appear on Aussie soil “late this year… positioned at the top of the new-generation Yaris range that will launch locally within five months”.

Local pricing will be revealed closer to the car’s launch date.