The hot hatch market has seen a revival in recent years, especially in markets like Europe where newcomers like Hyundai have brought the fight to the old guard like Ford and VW. As a result, the market in 2022 is more diverse than it's been in a long time. However, what most of these hot hatches have in common is that they're juiced-up versions of their regular siblings, built on the same chassis, just with added power and performance components.
The Toyota GR Yaris is a little different from the rest. It's been built from the ground up specifically for performance, with input from Toyota's racing team and a focus on all-terrain capability. As a result, it's easily one of the best hot hatches on the market, a pint-sized rocket that's about the closest to a production rally car that anyone can buy. They're already so popular with buyers that there's currently a year-long waiting list to get one, but before you put down the cash and get in line, here's a quick rundown of what you need to know about the Toyota GR Yaris.
10 It's A Homologation Special
The main reason for the GR Yaris' existence is for homologation purposes, more specifically, the homologation for the World Rally Championship. Originally, Toyota was planning to enter a competition car based on their regular Yaris, but bosses decided it wouldn't be competitive enough.
It wasn't the right shape, since the Yaris was only sold with five doors, and rally regulations dictate that you can't fit aero devices to the rear doors of the car. So, it was decided that a new platform would be developed with just three doors, and from there, the development of the GR Yaris began.
9 Developed In Conjunction With Gazoo Racing
It wasn't just the number of doors that Toyota's Gazoo Racing rally team wanted to modify; the roof was an issue too. In the regular Yaris, the roofline remains high at the back of the car to enhance rear passenger headroom, but that wasn't optimal for the aerodynamics of the rally car.
So, with the GR Yaris, the roof was sloped, to allow air to flow better over the rear wing. To ensure that there were no unwanted vibrations through the car, the GR team also requested that the engine be hydraulically mounted on one side, a costly addition that's usually only seen on supercars.
8 Nothing Like A Standard Yaris
While it might share some visual similarities with the standard Yaris, there are very few parts shared between the two. The chassis is all-new, with the front half adapted from the regular Yaris and the rear adapted from a CH-R crossover.
It's also longer, wider, and lower than its standard sibling, and with the optional Circuit Pack it comes with Torsen front and rear diffs and sticky Michelin Pilot 4S tires. There are also 259 extra weld points to increase the structural rigidity of the car overall.
7 It's As Lightweight As Possible
Keeping a car's weight down is always important in motorsport, and the GR Yaris uses a number of weight-saving measures to keep itself as skinny as possible. The roof panel is made from carbon fiber, which is about 8 lbs lighter than a standard steel Yaris panel.
Many of the body panels are also aluminum, helping to shave off another 53 lbs compared to the standard car. The AWD system is also one of the lightest fitted to any production car, as it's directly derived from the competition-spec rally car.
6 It's Excellent To Drive
This long list of technical improvements is all well and good, but the most important thing about any hot hatch is how it drives. HotCars hasn't had the chance to test drive one of these rally specials yet, but British magazine Top Gear were very impressed with their test car, calling it "the best Toyota [they'd] ever driven".
Initial reviews from owners are just as gushing, with one saying they'd been to a track day at the Silverstone circuit and despite being the cheapest car there, it got more attention than the supercars that cost ten times as much. So, there's no doubt that this is one of the best driver's cars on the market right now, period.
5 There's A Proper Manual Handbrake
It wouldn't be a proper rally car without the ability to do handbrake turns, and despite the fact that almost every modern car now comes with an electric handbrake, the GR Yaris keeps things old-school.
Not only is the handbrake fully manual, but engaging it also temporarily disconnects the drive to the rear wheels. Pair that with the standard six-speed manual gearbox, and you'll get a true enthusiast-spec setup that's not available on any other hot hatch on the market.
4 It's Cramped In The Rear
The Yaris might be an excellent car to drive, but it's not without its compromises. The sloping roofline has the effect of making the rear seats borderline unusable for taller adults, and since there's no heated rear windshield, visibility out the back isn't great in winter.
It's also less practical in terms of cargo space than a regular Yaris, with just 174 liters of trunk space available. However, anyone who's buying a car primarily for its spacious seats and trunk space probably shouldn't be considering a hot hatch anyway.
3 It's Available In Most Global Markets...
Toyota wasn't sure how well the GR Yaris would sell, so in order to make sure they hit their 2,500 unit per year sales target, they offered it for sale in most major global markets. It's available in Japan, Europe, Australia, and much of south-east Asia, including Indonesia and the Philippines.
It's also available in select central and South American markets including Mexico and Argentina. Ironically, demand has been so strong that in some markets, dealers have had to temporarily halt orders to allow the factory to keep up with demand.
2 ...But Not The US Or Canada
So, it's available in almost every major automotive market in the world... but unfortunately not in the US or Canada. Toyota withdrew the Yaris from North America due to poor sales in 2020, and with it disappeared the possibility of the GR Yaris ever coming to America.
However, it's not all bad news, as the company recently announced that their larger hot hatch, the GR Corolla, would be offered for sale in the US. It's set to arrive in 2023, and it looks like it might be just as exciting to drive as the GR Yaris.
1 Pricing Is Reasonable, But Not Cheap
It's worth keeping in mind that the price of a standard new Yaris in the UK starts at around £16,000 ($20,965), making it one of the cheapest new cars on sale. The GR Yaris is almost double that, with a price of over £31,000 ($40,620).
That puts it roughly in line with the VW Golf GTI and Renault Megane R.S., two of its main competitors. It's still a fairly big chunk of change for such a small car, but as the year-long waiting lists have proven, it's a very reasonable asking price for such a uniquely capable rally-spec pocket rocket.