Toyota Yaris GR Sport adds sporty flavour to regular supermini
Racier looks for new Toyota Yaris GR Sport but same efficient hybrid powertrain and will hit the UK in 2022
Toyota already has an extreme hot hatchback in the GR Yaris - but now the company is launching a milder GR Sport version of its supermini in a bid to take on the likes of the Ford Fiesta ST-Line.
As with other similarly badged variants, the Yaris GR Sport will focus on aesthetics more than any extra performance. It features bespoke 18-inch alloy wheels, incorporating a red accent line, a new front grille with a mesh pattern, a T-shaped rear diffuser and the option of a Dynamic Grey paint job featuring
black accents.
Inside, there’s a liberal splashing of GR Sport logos on steering wheel and headrests, a gun-metal silver finish on the doors and centre console, and a new fabric trim on the seats, plus the option of heated suede seats.
The Yaris GR Sport does get chassis tweaks - with reprofiled front and rear suspension, additional underfloor bracing and a new electric power steering configuration - but the powertrains remain unchanged.
Customers in some markets will be able to enjoy the more sporty Yaris with a 1.5-litre engine and an ‘intelligent manual’ gearbox (which can auto-blip and rev-match on downshifts), but UK cars will continue to be hybrid only, with that system’s usual CVT transmission.
Toyota says the Yaris GR Sport will go on sale across Europe in the second quarter of 2022. There’s no word yet on pricing but we’d expect it to be positioned at the top of the regular Yaris range, with a price starting from
around £23,000.
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