Toyota GR Yaris review (2024): Better than its predecessor?

They still exist: cars developed by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts. And we’re not talking about well-intentioned, unfortunately falling apart after three corners, barn projects. In fact, transportation giant Toyota has set itself the goal of making fun-to-drive stuff in recent years, with the GT/GR86, Supra and GR Yaris as the ultimate expression of that mission. The latter is now due for an update.

Yes, there was room for that. We know we hailed the original as one of the coolest things since stroopwafels, but after many a mile of motorsport, the Gazoo types had their list of improvements ready. The result is a GR Yaris that offers even more of what we were so gratefully gobbling up back then – plus a new twist.

What exactly is the Toyota GR Yaris?

It’s a Yaris that has nothing to do with the Yaris. Only the headlights, mirrors and the antenna on the roof are also found on your aunt’s hybrid. Toyota created it to drive rallies with it and to put all the hot hatchbacks in the B-segment out of action. Successful, because a few years later there are few of them left. Although that has rather other causes.

Still, to recap: the GR Yaris has its own swoopy three-door body, a carbon-fiber roof, a three-cylinder turbocharged engine, selectable four-wheel drive and the attitude of a rebellious toddler on speed.

Photo: Toyota

What’s new in this facelift?

A lot, both on a large and visible level and on a small and trivial level. For example, there are more horsepower, 280 instead of 261, and more torque: 390 instead of 360 Nm. The cooling system has been improved and there is an optional water spray for the intercooler. The GR-Four four-wheel drive has been given modified (variable) ratios between front and rear axles, depending on the driving mode. The bodywork has been reinforced at crucial points and things that regularly broke on the rally car and were time-consuming to replace, such as bumper parts with lights in them, have been redesigned.

Inside, a lot of work has been done. The seating position is lower, the view out is better and the dashboard looks completely different: where the previous one still showed similarities with that of the standard Yaris, you now get an angular block of plastic in front of you with two screens for all the information and a handful of important buttons within easy reach. Nice? Yes, of efficiency. These are drastic changes for a niche product, indicative of the dedication with which Toyota has put the GR Yaris on the road. This is the opposite of a parts bin specialand you will know it too. If it is still not special enough for you, there are also two (sold out) special editions.

Wasn’t there something else?

Oh yeah: an eight-speed DCT automatic transmission was ‘briefly’ developed, just for this car. Most customers still ask for the six-speed manual, but with the option of a paddle-shift transmission, Toyota hopes to serve those who either want to use it daily in traffic jams, or simply really don’t want to have to shift gears themselves in their blazing hot hatchback (do such people exist?).

We try out the updated GR Yaris with both transmissions on the small but challenging Circuit du Laquais just outside Lyon, and on nearby mountain roads – including some that form part of the Rallye Monte-Carlo.

Photo: Toyota

How is the new Toyota GR Yaris on track?

Easy, above all. This is a car that makes pounding performance child’s play. It only becomes unbalanced when you start to go crazy with it – which it encourages. A yank on the handbrake disengages the rear-wheel drive and you can throw it around with a laugh; but otherwise it’s bursting with grip thanks to its Michelin Pilot Sport 4Ss and modified chassis.

The 4WD’s Track mode now varies the front-to-rear axle split between 60/40 and 30/70, and can thus crush every bend. If you threaten to go too fast and too wide, lift the throttle a few millimeters and the GR Yaris immediately squeezes like a magnet towards the apex. The manual transmission can be rammed back and forth briefly and bonyly; the automatic shifts with sharp thumps and hardly any delay between your finger movement and the gear change.

How is it on the road?

Even more fun, on these roads. Really. The strength of the GR Yaris is that it is basically a rally car, with a rally slant and rally suspension. That not only means that you never run it to the ground, but also that it doesn’t buck and bounce on bad surfaces, but dances. Despite its hardcore behavior, the sharp edges are rounded off, which means that it is not uncomfortable or nervous, but rather manageable, malleable and confidence-inspiring. You hit it like a punching bag from bend to bend. Its steering is closely balanced, its brakes solid and progressive. The engine gurgles with torque even at low revs and with the manual gearbox, the iMT function provides flawless double-throttle when you downshift if desired.

Negatives? The seats, whose bolsters are so soft you have to brace yourself against the center tunnel with one leg. And the settings for the ADAS systems and the engine sound via the speakers (off, low, medium or high) are buried in the screens. Small blemishes on what is otherwise a heavenly experience.

Photo: Toyota

How much does all this beauty cost?

Well, here you go. Shattered dreams, everything. You understand that Toyota has not focused on emissions for once with the GR Yaris, and that translates into enough penalty BPM in the Netherlands to raise the starting price to 81,795 euros. The automatic, slightly heavier and special enough with a higher emission, even costs 94,295 euros. (In Belgium we are talking about 48,630 and 51,270 euros respectively.)

Is that too much money? Yes and no. Yes, because this is still a B-segmenter and you can buy a lot of other nice things for it. But also no, because what mainstream brand still employs an army of fanatics to screw together such a versatile cannon – and then immediately make it as good as it can possibly be? The simple fact that the GR Yaris exists is a victory for the car enthusiast. And when you experience it, when you see and realize how much effort has gone into it… Who knows what you will do for it then.

Specifications, consumption and price Toyota GR Yaris (2024)