Deliveries for the rally-derived, four-wheel-drive performance hot hatch is set to begin in November this year.
The much anticipated hot hatch from Toyota is on its way and the selling price in England starts at £29,995 which is about RM159,000 before local taxed and delivery. At this price, buyers in England get 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped with Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres, dual-exit exhaust pipes, a leather steering wheel, keyless entry and active noise control as standard.
Buyers with a bigger budget can order the GR Yaris ‘Circuit Pack’ variant at £33,495 which is almost RM178,000 which gets you a pair of limited-slip differentials, red brake calipers, wider and lower Michelin Pilot sports tyres and a highly tuned GR suspension system.
PRESS RELEASE: The Toyota GR Yaris’ engine is an all-new, three-cylinder turbocharged unit that benefits from motorsport technologies to maximise performance, including multi-oil jet piston cooling, large-diameter exhaust valves and a part-machined intake port. Displacing 1,618 cm3, it produces a maximum 261 DIN hp/192 kW and 360 Nm of torque.
Compact and lightweight, the DOHC 12-valve engine features a single-scroll ball-bearing turbo and is matched to a six-speed manual transmission, engineered to accommodate high torque levels.
The GR Yaris’ performance is supported by a new GR-FOUR four-wheel drive system designed to optimise drive power to each wheel, while also being simple and lightweight.
The distribution of torque between the front and rear axles is governed by a high-response coupling. As an option in the Circuit-Pack (details below), two Torsen limited-slip differentials manage the split between the left and right-side wheels to give natural and direct car control.
The ingenious system uses slightly different gear ratios for the front and rear axles and allows for a theoretical range of front/rear torque balance from 100:0 (full front-wheel drive) to 0:100 (full rear-wheel drive). This flexibility gives a performance advantage over AWD on-demand systems that use twin-coupling or permanent AWD systems with a centre differential. The GR FOUR system is also considerably lighter in weight.
The driver can adjust four-wheel drive performance to suit their preference or the driving situation using a 4WD mode dial switch. In normal mode the base front/rear torque distribution is 60:40; in Sport mode the balance shifts to the rear, with 30:70 distribution to achieve a fun-to-drive quality on winding roads and circuits; and in Track mode the base setting is 50:50 for fast, competitive driving on circuits or special stages. In each mode, the torque balance will automatically adjust in response to the driver’s inputs, vehicle behaviour and road or track conditions.
Dedicated Platform and Suspension
The GR Yaris has a new, dedicated platform that combines the front end of Toyota’s GA-B platform – debuting in the all new Yaris model in 2020 – with the rear of the GA-C platform. This allows for a new suspension design and accommodation of the GR-FOUR all-wheel drive system, while also contributing to the car’s excellent stability and handling.
Where the standard new Yaris uses a torsion beam rear suspension, the Toyota GR Yaris has a double wishbone set-up, with every element optimised for performance. A MacPherson strut system is used at the front.
Performance Braking System
The performance braking system features large, 356 mm grooved front discs with four-pot callipers, engineered to cope with rigorous demands of high-speed track and special stage driving with high-level heat capacity.
Circuit Pack
Customers can upgrade their GR Yaris with an optional Circuit Pack. This equips the car with a Torsen limited-slip differential on both the front and rear axle, performance-tuned suspension and 18-inch forged alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4s 225/40R18 tyres.
