Toyota brings a racier, new edge to the Yaris with GR Sport
The Toyota Yaris GR Sport is inspired by the GRMN hot hatch, and gets racier suspension along with slicker tyres
Toyota has given the Yaris range a new, racier option with this — the GR Sport.
Inspired by the limited-edition GRMN hot hatch, the GR Sport gets uprated suspension, stickier tyres and a more aggressive look, though its underpinnings are based on the decidedly un-sporting Yaris Hybrid.
Its suspension upgrades come in the form of Sachs Performance shock absorbers, similar to those fitted on the full-blown GRMN, while a solid anti-roll bar is fitted for improved rigidity. The result is a car that sits 11mm lower than standard.
Black 17-inch cast alloy wheels sit on all four corners of the car and are wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza RE50 tyres for increased levels of grip.
Underneath the GR Sport is the regular Yaris Hybrid powertrain — meaning a 1.5-litre petrol engine is paired up with an electric motor to produce 98bhp and 111Nm of torque. No exact performance figures have been revealed for the racier model but expect it to equal the standard machine’s 11.8 second 0-60mph time and 103mph top speed.
To distinguish it from the rest of the range, the Yaris GR Sport gets some aesthetic tweaks — including a number of black-painted trim pieces such as the bi-tone roof, honeycomb grille, door mirror housings and fog light surrounds. It also gets GR badging and model-specific headlights with black detailing, while customers can opt for a red decal set.
Inside the car, GR-branded Ultrasuede seats sit up front while the steering wheel is lifted from the Toyota GT86 coupe.
No word yet on pricing for the Toyota Yaris GR Sport, but the model is set to join the range before the end of 2018.
