Five reasons the Toyota GR Yaris will smash its rivals

Hot on the heels of the GR Supra and confirmation of both a new-generation 86 and a production version of Toyota’s Le Mans hypercar by 2021, now we have the Toyota GR Yaris.

With turbo power and all-wheel drive traction, the newest and smallest member of the Japanese brand’s growing Gazoo Racing family will embarrass pint-size hot hatches like Ford Fiesta ST, Renault Clio RS and Volkswagen Polo GTI.

What’s more, it will have enough performance to eclipse established players in the segment above. Ford Focus ST, Hyundai i30 N, Renault Megane RS, Volkswagen Golf GTI and even Honda Civic Type R, you’ve been warned. There’s a new kid on the block.

In fact, here’s why the three-door Toyota GR Yaris is a rally-bred super-hot hatch that will go head to head with the next Ford Focus RS, and why it’s not perfect.

Thanks to its lightweight construction – carbon-fibre polymer roof and aluminium bonnet, doors and tailgate – the Toyota GR Yaris weighs in at a measly 1280kg.

Under its alloy bonnet lives a 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that can pump out 192kW of power and 360Nm of torque. That gives it a power-to-weight ratio of 6.7kg/kW and means it’ll likely hit triple figures in less than six seconds.

Big performance requires big brakes and the wildest ever Yaris doesn’t let the team down, with 356mm discs up front and 297mm discs at the rear, with four-pot and two-pot callipers respectively – painted red, of course.

Actually… two new platforms. The Toyota GR Yaris uses a combination of the Japanese brand’s new GA-B light-car platform (for the front-end) and the GA-C small-car platform (at the rear) and rides on broad wheel tracks and 18-inch alloys, giving it a tough, unique stance.

Along with its new underpinnings, its new turbo triple and its bespoke suspension and aero package including bulging wheel-arches, the basis of Toyota’s world rally program also gets a new GR-FOUR permanent all-wheel drive system with multiple driving modes.

Toyota says the configuration will allow front/rear torque distribution anywhere between 100:0 (full front-wheel drive) to 0:100 (full rear-drive).

At this stage Toyota Australia has only committed to releasing the standard GR Yaris, while overseas markets will also get a Performance Pack model with stickier Michelin rubber, revised dampers and mechanical limited-slip front and rear differentials.

And, as is the case for Hyundai’s i30 N, the Toyota GR Yaris will only be offered with a six-speed manual transmission from the get-go, which is likely to deter a lot of potential buyers.

Unlike Toyota GR Yaris customers in Japan, Australians won’t be offered the option of genuine performance parts like strut braces, different wheel options or body kits.

Local pricing is yet to be confirmed by Toyota Australia, but we expect the new model to be priced from around $50,000.

While the new-generation Yaris hatch on which the GR is based will go on sale here in the first half of this year, the hottest Yaris ever won’t arrive until late this year. We’re tipping most of you agree it will be worth the