Review: Toyota GR Yaris

The GR Yaris takes widespread perceptions of Toyota’s compact runaround and flips them on their head, trading outright efficiency for rally-bred, hot hatch ecstasy.

Now in its second generation, the Japanese carmaker has further honed the GR’s credentials as a B-road weapon, ensuring it will likely be celebrated alongside similarly conceived predecessors such as Ford’s Escort RS, the Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Evo for years to come.

That it exists in an era where silent drivetrains and bleeping so-called “assistance” often dominate the driving experience of so many is a huge testament to Toyota.

So, what do we have in the latest GR Yaris? The new version is more focused and more powerful than the car first launched in 2020.

It is also a lot more expensive. The starting price has risen from just over £30,000 to £46,045.

Power from the 1.6-litre, three-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine is up from 257bhp and 360Nm to 276bhp and 390Nm.

Toyota has also fitted a new sub-radiator, a water-spray for the turbo’s intercooler and a brand-new dashboard fascia which is square set, plasticky and sparse, but has an undeniable competition car feel.

There is also a new eight-speed automatic gearbox offering “competition-fast gear changes”.

However, we experienced the latest car’s improved six-speed manual gearbox.

This sweet-shifting gearbox can, itself, smooth out high-speed downshifts thanks to an iMT setting which delivers perfect, rev-matched gear changes without the need to hone a throttle blipping heel-and-toe driving technique.

This iMT system encapsulates what the GR is all about: accessible performance.

Its four-wheel drive system uses a high-response coupling to shift power between the front and back wheels, while two Torsen limited-slip differentials manage the split between the left and right.

The results are impressive.

Commit decisively to a corner and there is a palpable sense of the rear tyres taking on an increased responsibility, powering the little hatchback through the bend in a subtly oversteering stance.

It is hugely flattering to the driver and great fun.

The GR is also devastatingly quick from point to point, its real-world performance not truly reflected by claims of 5.2-second acceleration to 62mph and a 143mph top speed.

What you do not get with the Yaris is a huge amount of cabin space.

Unlike the standard Yaris, it is a two-door, its rear quarters confined by the aerodynamic sloping roofline that defines it visually.

Nor should you expect the Yaris Hybrid’s claimed efficiency.

With the GR Yaris goading you to drive hard, it is unlikely that it will get close to its claimed 32.1-32.5mpg, recorded alongside CO2 emissions of 197g/km.

None of this matters a jot.

The GR Yaris is a unique performance car offering in the current market, an instant classic, and we love it.

Toyota GR Yaris

Price: £46,045

Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol

Power: 276bhp

Torque: 390Nm

Transmission: Six-speed manual

Top Speed: 143mph

0-62mph: 5.2 seconds

Economy: 32.1-32.5mpg (WLTP combined)

CO2 emissions: 197g/km