Toyota GR Yaris Rallye 2021 Review

Let’s be clear about one thing: the only tangible link between this Yaris and a hairdresser’s runabout is helmet hair.

The new 2021 Toyota GR Yaris Rallye has landed in Australian showrooms, adding yet another dimension to Toyota’s popular diminutive hatchback.

Using the already-potent GR Yaris as its base, the GR Yaris Rallye adopts a handful of go-fast parts to deliver a more track-focused drive.

We can safely say the Rallye raises the performance ceiling of Toyota’s unlikely hot hatch hero. But does it do so at the expense of on-road comfort and cost?

Let’s find out.

Now touching down in showrooms, the 2021 Toyota GR Yaris Rallye is priced at $54,500 plus on-road costs.

As with the regular Toyota GR Yaris, which was initially promoted at an introductory price of $39,950 drive-away for the first 1000 examples, the GR Yaris Rallye was available for $56,200 drive-away for the first 200 buyers.

Those examples were quickly snapped up, and this year’s full Australian allocation has already been accounted for. So if you order one today, you’ll need to wait until 2022 to drive it.

Physical cosmetic changes on the Rallye are minor in detail, extending to a contrasting red stitching in the seats and an individual plaque designating the build number of each Australian vehicle. That’s despite Toyota’s admission this is not a limited-edition vehicle.

Rather than focusing on semantics, Toyota sought real differentiation for the Rallye via a number of track-ready chassis upgrades.

The 18-inch cast alloy wheels by Enkei are swapped out for lighter, stronger forged alloy BBS rims of the same diameter, which reduce unsprung weight and improve handling, as do grippy Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres.

The Toyota GR Yaris Rallye also features stiffer track-tuned suspension and a pair of Torsen limited-slip differentials for both the front and rear axle, improving power delivery at full noise, while the brakes are unchanged (save for red-painted callipers) with all-ventilated discs measuring 356mm up front and 297mm at the rear.

Power is unchanged from the donor model. That means a 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine continues to belt out 200kW and 370Nm, pumping through a six-speed manual for a 5.2sec 0-100km/h sprint time and a 230km/h top speed.

Performance aside (we’ll get to the oily bits further on), the GR Yaris Rallye gets keyless entry and start, LED headlights, tail-lights and fog lights, dual-zone climate control, a reversing camera and more.

On the tech front there’s a 7.0-inch centre colour display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth and eight-speaker audio, a 4.2-inch digital display without the otherwise analogue instrument cluster, plus a head-up display.

Also included is Toyota’s Safety Sense package, which bundles autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane keeping assist and more to almost align with the Yaris donor model.

One feature missing in the sportier GR Yaris and the GR Yaris Rallye is a centre airbag, which could rule it out of a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating in Australia. Toyota says that due to their small volume, the GR models will not be crash tested.

Despite its obvious rallying pedigree, the Rallye misses out on a spare tyre, making do with a tyre inflation kit.

A five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty is offered with the GR Yaris Rallye. It’s also subject to six-month/10,000km servicing intervals which equates to $1560 over the first three years of ownership under the car-maker’s capped-price servicing schedule.

So how exactly has Toyota turned up the wick with the 2021 Toyota GR Yaris Rallye? Tyres, diffs and suspension are where it’s really at.

One of the big criticisms of the GR Yaris centres on its Dunlop SP SportMaxx rubber’s lower levels of adhesion. The stickier Michelins are a sure-fire solution there. Box ticked.

In terms of diffs, the new Torsen units at each end means torque can be apportioned more precisely between the left and right wheels on each axle, bringing faster acceleration, response and stability.

As before, the GR-FOUR all-wheel drive system employs an electronically controlled multiplate clutch that features a full-time active torque split between the front and rear axles (40:60 in Normal, 30:70 in Sport and 50:50 in Track).

The Rallye’s retuned MacPherson strut front suspension includes a stiffer front-end with thicker stabiliser bar, larger-diameter springs and updated bushes.

Likewise, the trailing multi-link rear gets stiffer bushes and bearings, 32mm bore dampers and two pillow ball joints on the lower side of the rear axle.

Stopping power is supplied via the same 356mm four-piston calliper front and 297mm two-piston calliper rear brakes.

Don’t go expecting any wholesale changes inside the cabin of the new 2021 Toyota GR Yaris Rallye compared with the donor car, because it’s virtually the same.

That means a high-set driver’s seat that feels at odds with the car’s performance focus, plus a 141-litre boot without a spare tyre.

Similarly, outward vision is hampered via a high-set centre screen and low-set mirror, plus bulky A-pillars. Combine these traits and the field of vision is a narrow one, especially looking forward.

Elsewhere, the cabin offers a mix of comfortable, supportive bucket seats and user-friendly screens, set against a backdrop of hard, scratchy plastics, no centre arm rest and a dearth of odds and ends storage – even withstanding the handy open cubbies dotted across the dashboard.

What’s clearer than ever is the Toyota GR Yaris Rallye is an unapologetic driver’s car, and that’s where the R&D spend has occurred.

On a short circuit drive, the GR Yaris Rallye feels better acquitted than the standard GR light hatch, and more effective at exploiting the shared engine’s performance.

The superior rubber has done wonders for the vehicle’s turn-in response and high-speed grip. There’s an added layer of sharpness and adhesion that imbues the Rallye and its pilot with more confidence and speed.

The suspension is also a big factor, allowing the Rallye to feel more stable under high-speed braking, grippier at the limits and less prone to body roll. Whereas the regular GR Yaris feels a tendency to break loose when loaded up, the Rallye hunkers down and asks for more.

Fitment of the Torsen diffs has likewise improved power-down and taken away the GR’s tendency to flare at one wheel when things get squirmy. There’s not the same importance placed on timing and throttle application as the donor car, because the Rallye’s go-fast parts are doing much of the heavy lifting.

As before, the 1.6-litre turbo three-pot is central to the GR’s appeal. Full of character, noise and engagement, it makes peak torque from 3000rpm and encourages the driver to explore the upper reaches by hitting peak power from 6500rpm.

Although it’s not head-in-headrest explosive, it’s a charming drivetrain, matched by a short-throw six-speed manual transmission that feels nice in the hands and can be easily rev-matched either by the car’s software or by the driver.

Importantly, the Rallye manages to do this without overtly compromising road ride and handling comfort.

On a short back-to-back loop, the Rallye experienced similar levels of compliance, with a firm, sporty bent and moderate levels of road and wind noise.

Small-amplitude bumps are reflected accordingly through the cabin, while larger hits will invoke the occasional thud.

If you were one of the fortunate few to grab a regular Toyota GR Yaris for 40K drive-away, then you’ve probably bagged the best deal of all.

However, in every other respect, the Rallye is the GR Yaris worth buying.

It is ludicrously expensive and its interior is far from perfect, but that’s the price to pay for a homologation special.

How much does the 2021 Toyota GR Yaris Rallye cost?
Price: $54,500 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 200kW/370Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 7.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 172g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

Related: Toyota GR Yaris 2020 Review
Related: Toyota GR Yaris 2020 Video Review
Related: Toyota GR Yaris Rallye priced at $55K
Related: More Toyota GR Yaris supplies coming
Related: Toyota’s Gazoo Racing Club now open