Introduced in Japan last year, the Aero Performance Package is now a standard entity on the South African-market GR Yaris.
Aero Performance Package is now standard on the South African-market Toyota GR Yaris. Picture: Toyota
Toyota South Africa Motors has sprung an unexpected surprise by making its World Rally Championship (WRC)-devised Aero Performance Package available on the GR Yaris.
Aero assisted
An option first revealed on the Japanese Domestic Market model last September, the Aero Performance Package has subsequently been rolled out to other markets, with South Africa being the latest.
“The Aero Performance Package maximises aerodynamic performance enhancement through the combined installation of a total of six items, all of which have been fine-tuned, resulting in further improving the cooling and aerodynamic performance of the GR Yaris,” an statement from Toyota read.
Building on the updates applied to the GR Yaris in 2024, the Aero pack hasn’t resulted in any power gains, or infringed on the local line-up, which still consists of two models.
Six parameters
Confirmed on Toyota South Africa’s website, the Aero pack, which has additionally been fine-tuned through the Super Taikyu series as well as the WRC, comprises a new lip spoiler said “to supress front-end lift”, an aluminium bonnet vent, rear-mounted front wheel arch vents to aid cooling “and improve steering” and a sealed underfloor fuel tank.
Most prominent at the rear is the new wing Toyota says “contributes to handling stability at high speeds and suppresses snake-like movement during braking” and air ducts either side of the diffuser on the bumper “suppress the bumper’s parachute effect and decrease the drag coefficient”.
Staying the same
Inside, the Aero Performance Package’s inclusion has not had any interior effects, nor as mentioned, on the GR Yaris’ engine outputs.
As such, the 1.6-litre G16E-GTS turbocharged three-cylinder engine still develops 210kW/400Nm, which goes to all four wheels via the GR Four all-wheel drive system through either a six-speed manual or the eight-speed Direct Automatic Transmission (DAT).
The claimed top speed is still 230 km/h, with 0-100 km/h taking 5.2 second regardless of the transmission option.
Colours
As before, the GR Yaris can be decked out in one of five colours:
- Glacier White;
- Lunar Black;
- Midnight Grey;
- Fierce Red;
- Platinum White Pearl
Price
Still available in flagship Rally trim level, the newly Aero Performance Packaged GR Yaris’ price tag, which increases by R18 000 across both transmission options, includes a three-year/100 000 km warranty and a nine-service/90 000 km service plan.
- GR Yaris Rally Aero – R969 900
- GR Yaris Rally Aero DAT – R999 000
