The purists may hate it. But the auto is the better GR Yaris
Look, there’s little doubt that the GR Yaris has completely rewritten the performance car rulebook. Never has so a small car delivered such an incredible level of performance as the Gazoo Yaris does. Small, light and individually master assembled, blueprinted, statically and dynamically balanced all-aluminium 1.6-litre turbocharged, DOHC 12-valve 3-pot is a technological gem.
Its supreme 160 kW per tonne power to weight ratio is split in ideal 59:41 distribution. Turning an intelligent quick-shifting 6-speed manual ‘box , until now, the über-Yaris drives all four wheels, it has lightweight rigid strut front and double wishbone rear suspension with aggressive track geometry and race spec brakes.
Crafted in the wind tunnel with full World Rally Champion cred, GR Yaris has mega road presence. There’s nothing fancy in the cockpit. Only what you really need. It’s practical though, with more than the expected passenger space. And a sufficient boot too. GR Yaris is actually a great all round motorcar.
But wait, there’s now an automatic
But wait a minute. What about this new automatic version. Sacrilege! Surely. Well no, actually. And so much was already clear when we took it around the Zwartkops Raceway by the scruff of its neck late last year.
The new torque converter 8-speed automatic joins supercar trends and the 6-speed manual transmission on the range, to propel GR’s Four all-wheel drive. Designed to optimise driving power to each of the four wheels while delivering peak lightweight driving experience, torque between the front and rear axles is governed by a high response coupling, but the driver is always in control.
It’s not just the gearbox, by the way. The world’s most powerful three-cylinder engine with its unique block, bespoke pistons, and a single-scroll ball-bearing turbo, has now also been massaged to deliver 210kW and 400 Nm of power. Add a water injected intercooler and Gazoo tells us that GR Yaris will accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and top 230 km/h.
GR Yaris Auto looks different. Because it is
If you think it looks different too, it is. There’s a new front bumper, spoiler and rear treatment, a cool new taillight cluster, fatter exhausts and rally style 18-inch alloys. All of which makes quite the statement, even before the engine is engaged.
Step aboard to a cool updated Heads-Up Display, Auto and CarPlay infotainment, enhanced audio and a Type C USB, revamped 4.2″ full-colour TFT multi-information display. Which is still pretty crap. But who cares? Add ergonomic tweaks inside to make the cabin work better. From a lower seat position to a better placed rear view mirror, and more driver centred controls and displays, among them.
There’s also a whole new package of driver support systems that must be switched off to really enjoy this car. We’d far rather have seen a convenient charger pad and full Bluetooth integration for your smartphone along with the kind of bareback beauty that this thing’s JDM looks promise. And deserve.
The racetrack outed GR Yaris Auto’s splendid balance
Back at Zwartkops in October, a few special tests and laps of the track brought back the car’s splendid natural balance and racy character. Steering is quick and precise as ever. Damping sorted, the brakes true and real and it pulls like all the little bastard it looks.
Ah that elephant in the room! But to be honest, the auto box is actually splendid, well sorted and track ready. It responds well to downshifts on entering a turn hard to be sure to be on the right cog, although we’d preferred if it’d allow us to short shift under power. It insists on revving out on track.
We said back then that we’d wait to live with it for a while before we delivered our verdict. And if you’re quietly hoping that was going to turn our opinion around, forget about it. If anything the auto’s genteel nature not only completes the GR Yaris point perfectly in its own right, but this little critter even humbles its harder, harsher and rortier GR Corolla cousin we had a month or two ago.
A completely driveable Jekyll & Hyde
To be honest, all living with this now completely drivable Jekyll and Hyde that doubles as a WRC weapon on the road did, was to prove it’s the better car. And a surprisingly good daily driver. Ride quality is plush and the cabin’s quiet. Even the younger lads in the offices admitted with red face, it’s a better all-rounder. All you lose is that old stick shift hard-on. But’ that’s more than made up for in a far improved all-round package.
Yes, of course, you can still get the manual and it too benefits all these latest niceties. And if you really need a five door, there’s also the GR Corolla. If I was looking for a car without any budget constraints right now, I’d probably save a few million on that Supercar and go for this.
It does most everything that would, just as well. Enough for us to ponder that we may very well have a repeat offender Auto Performance car of the year coming up here…– Michele Lupini
Images & Testing: Giordano Lupini
ROAD TESTED: Toyota GR Yaris GR-Four Rally auto
Engine: 210 kW 400 Nm 1.6-litre turbo petrol I3
Drive: 8-speed automatic AWD
TESTED:
0-60 km/h: 2.25 sec
0-100 km/h: 4.74 sec
0-120 km/h: 6.35 sec
0-160 km/h: 10.88sec
400m: 12.9 sec @ 173 km/h
80-120 km/h: 2.97 sec
120-160 km/h: 4.53 sec
CLAIMED:
VMax: 230 km/h
Fuel: 9.1 l/100 km
CO2: 206 g/km
Range: 550 km
Warranty/Service: 3y 100K/9 service 90K km
LIST PRICE: R981K
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