A GR-EAT HOT HATCH (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 41

Ever wondered what a Toyota Yaris might be like with over 250 braked horses beneath the bonnet? Well Toyota made it, this wild GR Yaris. It's a rather unique confection. Here, we look at the original version as a used buy.

Modelsword count: 5

3 door Hatch (1.6 petrol)

Historyword count: 210

This car was actually rather significant, back in 2021 the first true performance model developed entirely in-house by Toyota in more than 20 years. Prior to then, we'd had quick models from the brand, but only with outside assistance; the GT86 (developed with Subaru) and the GR Supra (co-created with BMW). The GR Yaris in contrast, was entirely the work of Toyota's Gazoo Racing performance division, hence the 'GR' moniker. There was a wild version of the Yaris generation previous to this too, the Yaris GRMN, but this fiercer GR Yaris model was quite a bit more powerful, gained 4WD and was made in much greater numbers. Its original purpose was to aid homologation of a next generation Yaris World Rally Car, though ultimately, that competition model never saw the light of day because of Covid cut-backs. Thankfully, this homologated road model was spared the axe though, its purpose being to boost the image of the then-freshly launched fourth-generation Yaris supermini. Chief engineer Naohiko Saito couldn't believe his luck when Toyota asked him and his team to create a Yaris like no other. He did exactly that. Here, we're going to look at the earlier 2021-2023-era version of this model, which sold until an updated version arrived in early 2024.

What You Getword count: 439

Engineer Naohiko Saito was put under pressure here to retain the regular Yaris model's 5-door body shell, but he wasn't having it, holding out for the stiffer, bespoke 3-door body that no other Yaris model in the range can have. That's not the only thing that's different over an ordinary hybrid Yaris; virtually everything else changed too. In fact, only the headlights, door mirrors, rear light clusters and the shark fin antenna on the roof were carried over to this wild GR model, which is 55mm longer and sits 45mm lower than its more conservative showroom stablemate. Inside, it's quite a bit more restrained than the exterior. But that doesn't mean it'll be more like your granny's Yaris Hybrid. Quite the opposite in fact. For a start, there's a manual gear lever, set high and close to the unique three-spoke GR Yaris wheel for rapid shifts. And you sit on specially designed and very supportive race-style sports seats, trimmed in lovely 'Ultrasuede' upholstery with contrast stitching and set at just the right angle to reach the drilled aluminium sports pedals. The instrument binnacle's two analogue meters have white figures with red needles; and if you look closer, you'll see a rev counter that red lines at 7,000rpm and a speedometer that goes to 180mph - yes, in a Yaris!  Between these two gauges, the 4.2-inch TFT colour multi-information display adds an all-wheel drive indicator showing the torque distribution and mode selected for the GR-Four all-wheel drive system, plus there's also a turbo pressure monitor. There's a mechanical hand-operated parking brake, which Toyota suggests the driver can use for cornering in rally stage driving. And a GR-Four selector, which is set just forward of the gear lever, for easy changes between the car's provided 'Normal', 'Sport' and 'Track' modes. Plus plenty of GR badging is scattered around the cabin to remind you what you've bought - you'll find it on the steering wheel, the engine start button and the floor mats, plus there's a little plaque on the centre console.  And the rear? Well access is made easier than it might be thanks to the generous forward tipping angle of the front seats. Once in the back, there's not a lot of space, with headroom especially at a premium thanks to the lowered roof line. For more than a short trip, you'd need to be of school age not to grouse about the prospect of being confined here for very long. There's not a great deal of luggage space either - the trunk is compact, 1,880mm long and 1,4230mm wide, which means that its capacity is rated at just 174-litres.

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