Rally derived pocket rocket Toyota GR Yaris priced

Power from the world's most powerful three-cylinder engine has been upped to 198 kW.

Long awaited arrival of the GR Yaris ups Toyota’s local Gazoo Racing model count to two after the Supra.

Having made the announcement towards the end of last year, Toyota has silently released spec and pricing details of the smash-hit GR Yaris on its website.

Easily one if not the most anticipated hot hatch of the year, the only variant of the XP210 Yaris to be sold in South Africa will be offered in two trim levels; standard and Rally with specification being the main differences.

GR Yaris will only be offered with three-doors.

Motivated by the most powerful three-cylinder petrol engine ever made, the GR developed 1.6-litre turbocharged three-pot, which will reportedly also power the forthcoming GR Corolla, has been upgraded for South Africa with outputs of 198kW/360Nm, two kilowatts down on the Japanese model but eight up on the European derivative, with the torque output lowered by 10 Nm overall.

The rest of the drivetrain is unchanged though with the amount of twist going to all four wheels through an intricate four-wheel-drive system that does without a centre differential, via a six-speed manual gearbox. Top speed is pegged at 230 km/h with the 0-100 km/h dash taking 5.5 seconds.

Standard on both models is a drive mode selector with three settings; Normal, Sport and Track with stopping power coming courtesy of a red painted four-piston brake caliper setup at the front and single at the rear with the discs measuring 356 mm and 297 mm respectively.

Riding on what is essentially a hybrid TNGA platform comprising the standard Yaris’ GA-B and the bigger GA-C in order accommodate the all-paw gripping system that carries the GR-Four designation, the GR Yaris is mounted on 18-inch forged BBS alloy wheels wrapped in either Dunlop SP Sport MAXX 050 or Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres with a further dynamic inclusion being a limited slip rear differential on the Rally.

GR Yaris interior

In terms of equipment, both models come with the following as standard:

dual-zone climate control;
seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto;
4.2-inch TFT instrument cluster display;
push-button start;
six-speaker sound system;
GR sport seats;
leather GR steering wheel;
alloy pedals;
electric windows;
folding and heated electric mirrors;
tyre pressure monitor;
ABS with EBD and VSC;
Hill Start Assist;
six airbags;
in-car Wi-Fi with complimentary 15 GB

Reserved for Rally is a Heads-Up Display along with:

Adaptive cruise control;
LED Auto High Beam Assist headlights;
faux leather and suede trimmed seats;
Lane Trace Assist;
Pre-Collision System;
Active Noise Control;
Lane Departure Warning

In total, four colours are available; Platinum White Pearl, Lunar Black, Glacier White and Fierce Red with a three year/100 000 km warranty and nine service/90 000 km standard across both models. As for pricing, the standard GR Yaris carries a sticker of R606 600 with the Rally priced at R715 600.