The new Toyota GR Yaris benefits from technical, design and construction enhancements that promise to deliver an even greater driving experience.

The original GR Yaris, first revealed in 2020, received such a positive reception on its launch, Toyota might have considered its work was done. Here was a car that at straight away stormed to the top of the hot-hatch segment, a rally-born, thoroughbred machine that left all competitors in its wake.

This was in fact just the start of the story. In the three years since the first car came off the production line, intensive efforts have been invested in making it even better: more powerful, more responsive, more engaging and more rewarding to drive.

The winning combination of power, poise and precise control of the GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID competition car has filtered down directly from World Rally, the sport's premier competition, to the new GR Yaris, a car that's genuinely "born from WRC". This high-performance hatchback is a perfect expression of Toyota's focus on using involvement in top level motorsport to fuel the development of ever better cars - both for racing and the road.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing engineers have worked with race and rally professionals in the spirit of constant improvement to enrich the GR Yaris' essential character as a "driver-first" car - one that is all about the special experience you enjoy from the moment you get behind the wheel and fire up the engine.

The check-list of changes is extensive, justifying the "new GR Yaris" description. Key elements include evolution of the world-leading turbocharged three-cylinder engine to deliver even more power and torque and the introduction of a brand-new eight-speed GAZOO Racing Direct Automatic Transmission, engineered for competition-fast gear changes.

The bespoke GR Yaris chassis has been further strengthened and in the cabin the cockpit layout and driving position have been redrawn for a more authentic sports car feel, whether on-road driving or in motorsports competition. The suspension has also been adjusted for greater handling control and robust performance under high loads, with revised spring rates and a strengthened front shock absorber assembly.

The new GR Yaris offers everything that made the original such a success, but more so. As a result, it promises to set itself even further ahead of the competition.

A more focused range comprises a single version in "Circuit" specification that includes a cooling performance pack. This equips the car with an additional sub-radiator, intercooler spray and modified air intake.

The new GR Yaris will go on sale across Europe from Summer 2024.

OGIER AND ROVANPERÄ SPECIAL EDITIONS

Two special edition versions of the new GR Yaris are adding an extra layer of appeal to the model range, developed with personal input from TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team (TGR-WRT) champion drivers Sébastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä. Aimed at genuine driving aficionados, these highly exclusive cars were revealed for the first time at Rallye-Monte Carlo, the opening event in the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), and will be built in very limited numbers.

The special editions are inspired by concept versions which were shown at the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon, and have been created under the supervision of Ogier, who won two of his eight WRC driver's titles with TGR-WRT, in 2020 and 2021, and Rovanperä, the winner in 2022 and 2023.

Their production reflects the desire of Master Driver Akio Toyoda - alias "Morizo" - to express his respect and gratitude to the drivers "who hone and grow our cars in rallies" and to the teams, the rally organisers and the sport's fans.

In each car the "Gravel" and "Track" modes featured on the standard GR Yaris have been replaced with settings reprogrammed to reflect each driver's personal preferences for handling and performance. The "special edition" quality also includes distinctive new exterior and interior styling features.

Both cars are powered by the latest development of the GR Yaris' 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, producing 280 DIN hp and 390 Nm of torque, matched to six-speed intelligent manual transmission (6iMT),

Ogier Edition

The Ogier Edition GR Yaris has two new AWD control modes: Morizo and Seb. The Morizo mode has been developed by Morizo (Akio Toyoda) through his rally driving experiences. It is calibrated to help deliver consistent race times under acceleration, partial acceleration and braking.

The Seb mode, developed by Ogier, uses 40:60 ratio of front and rear torque distribution. All-wheel drive distributes more torque to the rear axle, so that rear tires produce pushing force more.

This gives the driver a sense of being fully connected with the car and will help them achieve quicker times with high-speed driving body control.

The Ogier Edition's bodywork has a dedicated Matt Stealth Grey paint finish and features the French national flag (Ogier's home nation) on the radiator grille and the 18x8J BBS forged alloy wheels. WRC commemorative stickers are added to the front wings.

The stand-out details also include a new-design carbon fibre CFRP rear spoiler and blue-painted brake callipers. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing decals have been added to the left and right doors and an Ogier Edition logo to the back door.

Inside, there is a WRC victory commemoration plaque on passenger side of the instrument panel and contrast blue, grey and red stitching (honouring the French national colours) on the steering wheel. Grey stitching is used for the shift and parking brake gaiters and the seat upholstery.

On both special editions, the new GR Yaris' digital instrumentation has been revised to include the new modes, together with the regular Normal AWD control mode.

Rovanperä Edition

The Ravonperä Edition has a unique Donut Mode, created specifically for the WRC's youngest champion who is highly skilled in drifting and performing tyre-smoking donuts. Thanks to the constant-velocity rear differential gear, front and rear axles will rotate at the same speed. Allowing constant maximum torque to the rear, perfect for "door turns".

This GR Yaris version also provides a Kalle Mode. This uses 40:60 ratio of front and rear torque distribution, which is the same as Ogier mode, but due to the constant-velocity rear differential gear, the rear torque remains unchanged unlike the Ogier version ensuring nice stable drifting slides.

The car has an exclusive three-tone paint finish, applied as a series of painted motifs by the designer of Rovanperä's drift car livery, Henri Liupakka. WRC victory stickers are added to the front wings and there are TOYOTA GAZOO Racing decals on the doors and rear bumper and a Rovanperä Edition badge on the back door. As well as BBS 18x8J forged alloys, the car is fitted with a CFRP variable wing rear spoiler, shared with the GRMN Yaris, and constant-velocity rear differential gears, engineered to perform under sustained high drive loads.

In the cabin the trim and upholstery stitching again match the driver's national colours, in this case blue and grey for Finland. As in the Ogier Edition, a special plaque commemorates TGR's WRC victory.