Toyota GR Yaris Makes Dynamic Debut In Goodwood Among Rally Legends

Toyota has celebrated the dynamic debut of the new GR Yaris at the Goodwood Speed Week, with Elfyn Evans and Jari-Matti Latvala sitting behind the wheel.

The new Toyota GR Yaris was a huge surprise when it was first revealed and still is, marking the return of the rally-bred hot hatch. You can call it a homologation special since its very existence will allow Toyota to homologate next year’s WRC car, but its production run won’t be limited to just a few hundred cars, unlike previous performance icons of the sort.

Read Also: Looks Like Toyota Gazoo Racing Is Developing A More Hardcore GR Yaris

While the Toyota GR Yaris shares the same platform and wheelbase with the regular five-door Yaris, its three-door bodywork is all new and the rear suspension ditches the humble torsion beam in favor of double wishbones. The roof is also lower by 91 mm, and the tracks are wider too.

Power comes from a turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine that produces 257 HP and 265 lb-ft (360 Nm) of torque in Euro specification, coupled exclusively to a six-speed manual transmission and Toyota’s new GR-4 four-wheel-drive system. The company claims a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in less than 5.5 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 143 mph (230 km/h).

The permanent four-wheel-drive system of the new Toyota GR Yaris doesn’t feature a center differential to save weight, with the driver able to adjust the torque distribution via a mode switch. In Normal, the system splits the torque 60:40 front-to-rear, while Sport changes the distribution to 30:70 for a more fun-to-drive experience. Finally, there’s Track mode, which locks the torque distribution to an even 50:50 between the axles.

Customers in Europe will get the chance to choose between Convenience and Circuit packages, with the latter adding a limited-slip Torsen differential on each axle, a set of 18-inch forged alloy wheels, and even more performance-oriented suspension setup, among other.

Prices for the new Toyota GR Yaris start from 33,200€ in Germany and from £29,995 in the UK, with first deliveries expected to start as soon as next month.