Toyota GR Yaris in its renewed guise is about to arrive in the European dealerships. The little sports car that has been able to win over fans since the day of its debut thanks to its dynamic qualities, was the protagonist of a restyling in March. The new model will be on sale throughout Europe starting this summer.
Let’s remember the main characteristics of the sports car and above all the innovations that have been introduced.
Since the market launch in 2020, more than 20,000 units have been sold in Europe, with a customer satisfaction rate of 99%, Toyota says. Overall, over 40,000 units of this sports car have been sold worldwide. On the innovations introduced with the restyling, the car manufacturer says:
The development program that led to the birth of the new GR Yaris follows the concept of “develop, race, break, fix”. This describes how, in the search for improvements, the car is pushed to its limits, literally to the breaking point of its components.
First, the engine has been revised. Under the hood we always find a 3-cylinder turbo with 1.6 liter displacement which it is now able to provide 206 kW (280 HP) with 390 Nm of torque. The 6-speed manual gearbox is still present and has been further refined. However, the sports car can also be had with an 8-speed automatic transmission which was specially developed in collaboration with GAZOO Racing.
Toyota technicians also worked on the chassis and set-up to make the car even more effective around the bends. Always present there electronically controlled permanent four-wheel drive equipped with Torsen mechanical self-locking differentials front and rear and an electronic multi-plate clutch.
In terms of performance, new Toyota GR Yaris reaches a maximum speed of 230 km/h and accelerate 0 to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds. The set-up has been optimized thanks to the feedback from the drivers who have used this sports car in rallies.
We remember that new Toyota GR Yaris size 3,995mm long x 1,805mm wide x 1,455mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,560mm. The curb weight is 1,280 kg and rises to 1,300 kg with the new automatic transmission. With the restyling, the look of the sports car has also been retouched. For example, at the front there is a new steel mesh for the lower grille, optimized for the best balance between thickness, strength and weight reduction.
At the rear, there is a new opening in the bottom edge that allows air to escape to reduce aerodynamic drag. The fog lights and reversing lights have been repositioned, moving from the lower part of the bumper to be integrated into the rear light clusters. The brake light is now on the tailgate and no longer on the spoiler. The cockpit has been revised to allow you to reach the controls more easily, especially during sporty driving.
The instrumentation is digital and can count on a 12.3-inch screen with customizable graphics. The infotainment system display is located centrally.
New Toyota GR Yaris on the Italian market it starts from 52,000 euros. You need 3,000 euros more to have the automatic transmission.
The sports car can also be had in special limited edition versions”Ogier” And “Rovanpera“, dedicated to the world champions of the Toyota WRT team. For both these versions they start from 75,000 euros.
