Toyota GR Yaris review

Is the Toyota GR Yaris a good car?

Some may have scoffed when they heard that the Toyota GR Yaris hot hatch was designed as a “rally car for the road”, but the brand has genuinely pulled it off, creating a seriously capable and entertaining machine that reminds us of the Subaru Impreza Turbo and Mitsubishi Evo cars we used to lust after. 

With its standard-fit four-wheel drive system and compact supermini chassis, the GR Yaris will gladly be chucked around in any direction. Hit a straight and the 276bhp and 390Nm engine offers a respectable punch whenever you floor the throttle — all the more impressive when you remember that this is a turbocharged three-cylinder.

The Toyota GR Yaris doesn’t quite outshine our 2024 Hot Hatch of the Year, the Honda Civic Type R, but it does come pretty close for outright entertainment combined with genuine usability. 

How much does the Toyota GR Yaris cost?

When it first arrived, the Toyota GR Yaris already commanded a strong starting price of nearly £30,000. However, this spicy supermini underwent a number of upgrades in 2024, and these have pushed the starting price up to over £44,000.

That sum will bag you a GR Yaris with a six-speed manual gearbox, if you want the automatic (and we’ll explain you might in a little while) you’ll need to add another £1,500 to your budget. There are also two special edition models that have had their drive modes configured by rally drivers Sebastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä. This is certainly a unique touch, but you’ll be paying out an eye-watering £60,000 for the pleasure.

Even that entry-level £44,00 figure pushes the Toyota GR Yaris into the firing line of more upmarket hot hatchbacks like the Volkswagen Golf R (nearly £44,000), Mercedes-AMG A 35 (around £46,000), BMW M135 (£43,000) and the Audi S3 (£47,000). The Ogier and Rovanperä special editions, meanwhile, overtake the £50,000 Honda Civic Type R by nearly £10,000.

Toyota’s upgrades to the GR Yaris pushed the price upwards, but they did bring some notable changes to this fiery hot hatch, too. You’ll struggle to notice any real differences between the facelift and original models at first glance, but it’s underneath where the brand has addressed the older GR Yaris’ weakness. 

Aside from the choice between a manual or automatic gearbox, there are few options for the Toyota GR Yaris line-up. All variants are powered by the same turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, and this produces 276bhp across the board.

All GR Yaris models come with 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights and wipers, smart entry, an eight-inch touchscreen with Toyota’s Smart Connect+ software including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12.3-inch driver’s display, dual-zone climate control and a rear-view camera. There’s a multitude of safety systems, too, including lane trace assist, road sign assist and intelligent adaptive cruise control.

Stepping up to one of the special editions brings some extra touches, but these differ depending on which one you go for. The GR Yaris Ogier adds in performance-oriented upgrades including an ‘Ogier’ driving mode, unique Stealth Grey paint, blue interior stitching, blue brake calipers and a carbon fibre rear spoiler. There are a few day-to-day extras thrown in, too, such as a JBL sound system, heated steering wheel and front and rear parking sensors.

For those who like their hot hatchbacks to be as loud and proud as possible, the GR Yaris Rovanperä adds a distinctive three-tone rally-inspired livery along with a large carbon fibre rear wing and red brake calipers. Inside, the striking exterior is complemented by a heated steering wheel with stitching that replicates the Finnish national colours (blue and grey). The enhancements aren’t just cosmetic, either, as this special edition also gets unique Rovanperä drive modes and a constant-velocity rear differential.  

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The Toyota GR Yaris comes with a single engine; a 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol. This may sound like an error on Toyota’s part, but this is by far one of the most powerful three-pot engines ever made. With 276bhp and 390Nm of torque on tap, the lightweight supermini never feels short on power. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Read more about the Toyota GR Yaris' engines, performance and drive…

The Toyota GR Yaris is a very different machine from the regular hybrid-powered Yaris. That being said, this rally car for the road will still return around 30mpg when it’s settled down for a regular day-to-day drive. Thrash it (which you’ll want to do often) though, and those three cylinders can be thirsty. Read more about the Toyota GR Yaris’ MPG, emissions and running costs...

A midlife facelift has seen the GR Yaris’ cabin receive some design tweaks, but it’s still a case of well-built simplicity as opposed to luxury. Standard kit is pretty generous but the overall colour theme inside is dark and grey, so it’s the driving experience that’ll bring you the most joy. The infotainment system has also been replaced, but it still causes its fair share of frustrations. Read more about the Toyota GR Yaris’ interior, design and technology...

The GR Yaris offers a sliver of practicality for a small performance-oriented car, but you’ll be hard-pressed to comfortably fit any passengers in the cramped rear seats. Things aren’t much better when you need to store luggage, either, because the boot is a miserly 174 litres. Read more about the Toyota GR Yaris’ boot space, comfort and practicality...

Toyota is renowned for the reliability of its cars, and there aren’t many horror stories about the GR Yaris. Euro NCAP hasn’t tested the GR due to its low production volume, but there is a decent amount of safety tech thrown in as standard across the line-up to help keep you out of trouble. Read more about the Toyota GR Yaris’ reliability and safety…

Toyota GR Yaris alternatives

As mentioned earlier, pricing for the Toyota GR Yaris starts from around £45,000, and hot hatch buyers are well catered for with alternatives if they have this sort of budget. The Audi S3, BMW M135, Ford Focus ST, Honda Civic Type R, Mercedes-AMG A 35, and Volkswagen Golf R are all available for similar money, and each makes a strong case for itself as a practical performance car.

For those who are considering switching to an electric car, there are an increasing number of performance EVs making their respective arrivals, too. The Cupra Born, MG4 XPower and Abarth 500e are three examples of electric hot hatches that actually cost less than the GR Yaris.