The prayers of hot hatch fans around the country have finally been answered with Toyota Australia today confirming it will reopen orders for the lauded Toyota GR Yaris as of November 10.
Aussies have been waiting more than 15 months for an update on when orders for the vicious little performance car might reopen and with the date now confirmed, demand is anticipated to be as strong as ever.
Toyota says that with all existing orders now filled, it has come good on its promise to secure an extra 160 GR Yaris vehicles – including the more focused Rallye – for local consumers, however, the brand openly admits prolonged wait times could be on the cards and that some prospective buyers may miss out.
“The number of orders able to be taken by dealers will match their given allocation over the next 12 months,” said Toyota today.
“Customers are advised that not all dealers will have a vehicle available for order and that expressions of interest can be made for this in-demand vehicle.”
Despite the turbulent market conditions and some huge price increases being inflicted across the industry, Toyota has opted to stick with the GR Yaris’ existing pricing of $49,500 plus on-road costs for the standard version and $54,500 plus ORCs for the Rallye.
Buyers of the flagship Rallye will also have access to a broader array of exterior colours this time around, with Glacier White, Tarmac Black and Feverish Red joining the existing Frosted White pearl finish, however, a numbered build plaque will no longer be fitted on the dash.
No changes have been made to any of the GR’s mechanicals or chassis set-up, meaning the turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder still chucks out a segment-leading 200kW/370Nm while drive is still shipped to all four wheels exclusively via a six-speed manual transmission.
Toyota Australia sales, marketing and franchise operations vice president Sean Hanley said the local division had been working hard with global HQ over the past year to secure these extra 160 vehicles.
“When we first launched the GR Yaris, we believed it would generate plenty of interest but even we were surprised at the phenomenal level of customer demand,” he said.
“Together with the GR Supra, recently launched GR86 and forthcoming GR Corolla, we have the most exciting family of performance cars ever available in our line-up.”
How much does the 2023 Toyota GR Yaris cost?
GR Yaris – $49,500
GR Yaris Rallye – $54,500
* Prices exclude on-road costs