- The Toyota Starlet is set to make a comeback as a rally-bred FWD hot hatch.
- It’s rumored to use Yaris underpinnings but with a more compact footprint.
- A turbocharged 1.3-liter engine could deliver around 150 hp in its road-going version.
The Toyota Starlet nameplate is currently applied to rebadged versions of the Suzuki Baleno and Fronx in South Africa. However, Toyota appears to be gearing up for something far more exciting. A new subcompact model, reportedly based on the Yaris, is rumored to launch in 2026. This could include a Rally 4-spec version and a road-going GR Starlet, poised to fire up Toyota’s hot hatch lineup.
The Toyota Starlet, which ran for five generations from 1973 to 1999, preceded the Yaris. While Toyota hasn’t announced any plans for a revival, reports out of Japan suggest the Starlet could make a comeback as a new, more affordable city car.
Revival details and expected Specs
According to Japanese publication Best Car, the reborn Starlet could use the TNGA-B platform from the Yaris but with a smaller footprint. The five-door hatchback is expected to be around 3,850 mm (151.6 inches) long, making it 150 mm (5.9 inches) longer than the European Aygo X but 90 mm (3.5 inches) shorter than the Yaris.
In addition to the standard version, Toyota is believed to be developing a rally car for the two-wheel drive WRC Rally 4 category, alongside a performance-focused GR version. The latter is expected to get the full GR treatment, featuring a distinctive sporty body kit, an upgraded chassis for sharper handling, and a more powerful engine to boost performance.
Japanese sources suggest that the hot hatch will likely be powered by a turbocharged 1.3-liter three-cylinder engine, based on the larger 1.6-liter unit found in the popular GR Yaris and GR Corolla. This downsized unit could produce around 150 horsepower (112kW) and channel power to the front axle via a six-speed manual transmission.
More: Toyota’s New 2.0-Liter Turbo Rumored To Pack Nearly 600HP
The more compact footprint and the omission of the GR-Four four-wheel-drive system found in its bigger brothers are said to contribute to the GR Starlet’s low weight of 980 kg (2,160 lbs). This would make it around 300 kg (727 lbs) lighter than the GR Yaris, promising a playful driving experience
In order to comply with the Rally 4 regulations, Toyota needs to produce 25,000 units of the roadgoing version. Best Car Web speculates that the production model will arrive in 2026 with the rally car entering competition for the 2027 season. The estimated price for the Toyota GR Starlet in Japan is between ¥2.5-2.8 million ($17,576-19,686), although we have to take these rumors with a pinch of salt.
To comply with Rally 4 regulations, Toyota must produce 25,000 units of the roadgoing version. Best Car speculates that the production model will launch in 2026, with the rally car expected to compete in the 2027 season. The estimated price for the Toyota GR Starlet in Japan is believed to range from 2.5-2.8 million Yen (approximately $17,600-$19,700 at current exchange rates), though these figures should be taken with a grain of salt. For comparison, the updated GR Yaris starts at ¥4.5 million, or roughly $31,700 in Japan.
More projects on the horizon
Beyond the Starlet revival, Toyota seems to have several intriguing projects in the pipeline—some under consideration, like an MR2-like mid-engine sports car with ICE and/or electric power that was previewed as a concept, and others actively being developed, such as the Supra GRMN and a new compact Land Cruiser SUV designed to challenge the Ford Bronco Sport.
