Test: Toyota GR Yaris 2024, a better masterpiece!
Toyota GR Yaris, the undisputed masterpiece of 2020, will make a comeback in 2024. But what can be improved compared to the old model?
"The Toyota GR Yaris 2024 is an incredible tool, perhaps the best, to have fun and understand the behavior and dynamics of the car in complete safety."
The sportiest but craziest Toyota Yaris is back! More or less, but we'll explain later. Gazoo Racing, the sports arm that had won back-to-back world championships at the WRC and WEC, is back and taking its 2020 masterpiece to the next level! But how? The answer comes from the steering wheel of the new GR Yaris 2024, which we were able to test on the Laquais circuit and on the trail leading to the Col du Granier in Lyon. To put it mildly, we had a great time......
Fully functional, but ideal!
Let's start with the differences between GR and normal Yaris. But it might be easier to list the parts that haven't changed: two headlights, exterior mirrors, and a roof antenna. Five little details, and that's it! Even with its length of 3,995 m, width of 1,805 m, and height of 1,455 m, it is different from any other Yaris. It's not Toyota! As a result, the brand's logos are rare: one on the front, one on the handlebars, and one on each hubcap. The Japanese manufacturer has tried to distinguish its GR products from its classic collections, as if they were part of a separate brand.
Just like race cars, all of the tweaks made by Gazoo Racing are purely functional. For example, the main purpose of the new front bumper is to better cool the engine. It was even divided into several sections to facilitate small-scale repairs. The same principle applies to the rear: the fog and reversing lights on the bumper have been removed, while the third brake light on the spoiler has been removed. This makes them easier to replace or personalize.
Once in the car, the interior of the previous-generation GR Yaris at least resembles the more common variant of Japanese city cars. Today, this is no longer the case! Gazoo Racing has designed a new dashboard with a lower position of 5 cm and is fully oriented towards the driver. The centre mirrors have also been raised, while the bucket seats have been lowered by 2.5 cm to improve exterior visibility and post-driving feel. Admittedly, almost everything is made of hard plastic, but it's well assembled and very functional!
No fuss or frills
For drivers, we find a fully customizable 12.3-inch digital instrument panel. In the center of the dashboard is an 8-inch touchscreen that connects wirelessly to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, located above the physical controls for the air conditioning control. Directly below it is the gear lever and some buttons that you can use to set different driving modes. Everything is within the driver's reach without bending or stretching. No fuss or frills, just essentials and nothing more.
The GR Yaris also comes with two rear seats and a 174-liter trunk, which is more than enough for weekly shopping. But it's not the kind of car you use for shopping or taking the family on vacation, right? Instead, it's a drivable car to enjoy with its incredible chassis and tireless three-cylinder engine!
Excellent three-cylinder engine with 206 kW (280 hp) and 390 Nm!
In 4 years, GR Yaris' 1.6-liter three-cylinder turbocharged engine has increased its power by 14 kW (19 hp) and 30 Nm. Its power increased from 192 kW (261 hp) and 360 Nm to 206 kW (280 hp) and 390 Nm! This means that a 1.3-ton bomb can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 230 km/h.
This increased power is still distributed to four wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox, but not only. The GR Yaris now also available with an optional 8-speed DAT (Direct Automatic Transmission) automatic transmission, which operates even the other way around compared to most automatic transmissions, so you have to push the lever to downshift and then pull to to start. Just like in racing!
Excellence and tireless precision instruments
With just a few corners to drive, you'll understand that it's not the fastest car on the track, but it allows the driver to make the most progress throughout the day. First of all, because it gives you confidence very quickly, but above all, because you can clearly feel everything that is happening behind the wheel: load changes, understeer and oversteer...... And in an extremely gradual way. Its chassis is perfectly balanced and has never proven to be dangerous. Admittedly, the new GR Yaris may not be as fun as the old one, but it's easier to tame, and anyone can tame! Toyota understands this task very well, and just like the iMT feature, it can provide the perfect throttle point when downshifting with a manual transmission. Useful!
Once you've got the hang of the car (which doesn't take long), you can start using the new driving modes: Normal, Gravel, and Track. The first one has not changed, still sending 60% of the power to the front wheels and 40% to the rear wheels. The latter offers a more even distribution of power in the Japanese hatchback (53:47), while the latter is variable and sends up to 70% of the torque to the rear wheels for maximum efficiency. There are other parameters that change, especially the gearbox and differential, so you do feel a noticeable difference between the different driving modes without making the car feel strange.
If you're really confident, you can turn off all your driving aids at the touch of a button! But again, that doesn't really change the nature of GR Yaris. It just makes it easier for you to approach his boundaries, understand them better and go further.
An automatic transmission is actually just as fun as a manual transmission. Sure, it's a little less fun, but it's very efficient. Switching points are almost non-existent. The automatic transmission is more precise with 8 gears instead of 6, and you'll never get stuck between two gears when entering or exiting corners.
Steroid coffee grinder
In the end, the GR Yaris' three-cylinder engine is simply tireless. Of course, it's not the noblest engine, but it never stops pushing! When you open the throttle, the revs increase and the exhaust sound gets louder and louder. And that's just the beginning, because every time you switch, the party starts over! In any case, we don't complain because we never want it to stop. But at some point, when you get close to a corner, you have to lift your right foot and put it back on the brake pedal. Luckily, the brake pedal never gets soft. The new Toyota GR Yaris seems to be capable of carrying anything with you wherever you go. Still, as long as you don't stop too fast. On our first break after descending from Granier Pass, our brakes were still hot and we didn't feel it on the pedals. Plus, like all Toyota cars, this small rocket comes with a 10-year or 185,000 km warranty!
If you're really looking for a flaw, a seat with more lateral support won't look out of place. Toyota and Gazoo Racing, you know what to do. We would appreciate it if we could keep a copy of your next work for us. Because probably the most difficult thing about the new GR Yaris is getting you to have one......
The new Toyota GR Yaris with a manual transmission starts at €48,630 and with an automatic transmission it starts at €51,270. Why "there is"? Because, as is often the case with Gazoo Racing products, all copies are distributed too quickly. The entire Belgian work was sold out in less than two hours! Just to show how sought after this little bomb is. As a result, you are forced to look for second-hand markets, where unused copies are undoubtedly sold at a good profit......
We don't know what miracles have happened, but Toyota Gazoo Racing has managed to further improve on the 2020 masterpiece. More than ever, the new GR Yaris is an excellent tool, perhaps the best of all, to have fun and learn about the handling and physics of the car in complete safety. Perhaps its biggest flaw is that all copies have long since been sold out......