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- TOYOTA GR YARIS
- Price range: $ 54,990
- Engines: 1.6-liter inline three-cylinder petrol turbo with 200kW / 370Nm, 7.6L / 100km, six-speed manual transmission, AWD.
- Body type: 3-door hatch.
- On sale: Now. But they are all sold …
Are you a fan of stupidly powerful hot hatches? (raises hand) What about small cars with three-cylinder engines? (raises hand) Well, you’ll probably be very, very excited about the arrival of the Toyota GR Yaris, a version of the Yaris derived from the AWD rally with a triple 200 kW. (waving my hand very excited now). And now it’s finally here.
Make me an instant expert – what do I need to know?
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You can see that the GR Yaris is serious even when stationary.
The belligerent little GR Yaris is basically the result of Toyota letting its racing department loose on a car more traditionally associated with its grandmother to make the most of its rally success.
READ MORE:
* Meet the Toyota Yaris that becomes Grrrrr!
* Toyota is back and it’s a wonderful thing.
* Toyota NZ plans to become a cool brand, with the help of the great Gazoos.
* Toyota is not interested in the Yaris Cross with GR specs
Practically designed the reverse of Toyota’s WRC car by Gazoo Racing, the GR Yaris is essentially a hybrid – no, not in the tree-hugging sense, more in The island of Dr. Moreau unholy man-beast hybrid sense.
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The wider rear track is courtesy of the Corolla.
You see, while under the front half is all Yaris, the rear half is, well, Corolla. They both sit on the TNGA platform, but the Corolla has a wider track, which the GR Yaris exploits for its own purposes here.
Add that wider rear track to a custom three-door body and a mental powertrain and you’ve got a GR Yaris.
How mental is that powertrain? Totally and completely crazy. Totally barking. That is to say, all in an exceptionally good way: the GR Yaris is powered by a new 1.6-liter inline three-cylinder turbo unit that generates a staggering 200 kW and 370 Nm of torque. I’ll let that sink in a bit.
Now here’s some more good news: It also comes hooked up to a six-speed manual transmission. It’s pretty much a driving purist’s dream wrapped up in a retiree’s car.
Where did it lead?
Bruce Jenkins / Supplied
The GR Yaris is incredibly safe and serene, even in the wet.
On a race track, of course.
Toyota chose to launch the GR Yaris at Hampton Downs and because it was a powerful car launch that took place on a race track, it rained. A lot.
That turned out to be a pretty good thing though, because the GR Yaris is AWD too, which means we got an excellent sense of how good it was in wet conditions.
First it was a couple of “hot laps” for lack of a better description around the skid tray with former Toyota Racing Series champion Daniel Gaunt at the wheel to show just how savagely he can turn sideways under provocation, with hair-raising skids on. all four wheels punctuated with the belligerent roar of the fantastic little triple.
Bruce Jenkins / Supplied
The GR Yaris features a 200 kW 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine. Yes, you read that right.
Then it was time to get behind the wheel.
First, the GR Yaris looks, sounds and feels fantastic. Everything about him screams that he just wants to go fast, and he does.
The six-speed manual transmission is a wonderful thing that goes from one gear to another with a short throw and a positive feel, while the clutch is perfectly weighted.
The 1.6-liter roars, puffs, and tosses the GR off the line at remarkable speed (Toyota claims a 5.2-second 0-100km / h run, but it feels much faster than that, even in the wet), maintaining relentless momentum. . through its rev range, making hitting it around corners enormously satisfying and electrifying, even in dire weather conditions.
Bruce Jenkins / Supplied
The GR Yaris was tremendously good going sideways on the sliding tray.
While we couldn’t drive the GR Yaris on the highway, the engine felt wonderfully manageable and tame at low revs up and down the pit lane.
But it was the absolutely fantastic chassis that was the undisputed star of the show – the GR Yaris is beautifully balanced and superbly composed, handling both heavy engine bump and atrocious conditions with effortless poise.
Even when the driver acts like a total fool and completely ruins the entrance to a corner by getting in TOO hot (not me, I swear) he is so willing and completely predictable that you just get it and correct it. And feel like a hero even though it was the car that did most of the heavy lifting thanks to its excellent chassis and stability control …
What is the selection of the range?
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No, you don’t need a racing suit to drive the GR Yaris, but days on the track certainly appeal to you.
Unlike Australia, Toyota New Zealand kept things simple by just bringing in the best spec (and best) car, so it’s just a GR Yaris for us.
In keeping with the fact that it’s significantly warmer than your average hatch in the segment – it works out effortlessly and beats the likes of the Ford Fiesta ST and Volkswagen Polo GTI – it also asks for more money for its prodigious abilities. $ 54,990 to be exact.
And before shouting that this is a RIDICULOUS price of a Yaris, about 50 people did not think that, because apart from the four cars that Toyota saved for demonstration and press, the 50 in the first shipment have already been sold …
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This sure isn’t your grandmother’s Yaris …
Why would I buy it?
Because you want a car that you can have tons of fun in and you know it’s also very likely to be stupidly reliable. After all, it is a Yaris.
Why not buy it?
Because you are crazy. Or, perhaps, because it is too small and specific for your needs, let’s face it; it just will be for most people … but if you have the money and need a fully bright and focused hot hatch, why wouldn’t you?
