► Rally-inspired hot hatch updated for 2024
► Pocket rocket now makes 276bhp, 288lb ft
► New auto ‘box option, uprated cabin
Toyota has revealed pricing for the new MY2024 GR Yaris and it won’t make pleasant reading for prospective owners: the new hot hatch will kick off at £44,250 on the road, around £15k more than the original cost back in 2020.
The price will jump further if you go for an automatic transmission, and will rise to £60,000 if you want one of two special editions.
Why the price hike? Well in addition to inflation and rising manufacturing costs, the position of the new Yaris has changed. It’s now super limited, and comes during a time when car brands are trying to get their average CO2 figures down too.
The full pricing is below:
| MODEL | TRANSMISSION | OTR PRICE |
| GR Yaris | 6-speed intelligent manual | £44,250 |
| GR Yaris | 8-speed Gazoo Racing Direct Automatic | £45,750 |
| GR Yaris Ogier Edition | 6-speed intelligent manual | £60,000 |
| GR Yaris Rovanperä Edition | 6-speed intelligent manual | £60,000 |
What’s new?
There’s more power, for starters. The diminutive 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine has popped down the gym, with more boost, strengthened valvegear and lightweight pistons to increase power to 276bhp and torque to a chunky 288lb ft.
That’s a significant step up from the original GR’s 257bhp and 265lb ft, and should ensure improvements to performance, although European speed claims are not yet released. We’ve already driven a prototype and you can read our Toyota GR Yaris review here.
When can I buy the new 2024 GR Yaris?
Toyota says the new hot hatch will arrive in Europe in summer 2024.
‘The UK allocation of the all-new GR Yaris will be limited,’ warns the Toyota UK website. ‘Further details on the allocation process will be available from March 2024.’
The GR Yaris is the brand’s first all-wheel drive sports car since the Celica GT-Four, and was mostly developed in Finland with Tommi Mäkinen Racing in the run-up to the Covid pandemic.
Toyota GR Yaris: a new automatic transmission option
One of the big changes for 2024 is the adoption of an eight-speed automatic gearbox – yes, a torque converter, not a twin-clutch affair. The Gazoo Racing Direct Automatic Transmission will be an option, meaning buyers can still buy a six-speed manual, if they’d prefer DIY gears.
Toyota says the eight ratios in the auto ‘box are closer-stacked for more ferocious acceleration and the transmission is geared for especially fast changes; the vehicle’s ECU logic predicts which cog will be required next to pre-select the correct ratio during deceleration. It’s tap-forwards for downchange, pull-back for upchanges, at chairman Akio Toyoda’s insistence.
There is a new drive mode selector offering Normal, Sport and Eco settings, tailoring power steering, air-con, throttle response and transmission shift speed on the DCT gearbox.
New for 2024: an improved interior
The Toyota GR Yaris has proved popular with enthusiasts, selling 18,000 in Europe since launch in 2020. However, few owners would rave about the functional, brittle interior – which is why Toyota has upgraded it for 2024.
The new interior (below) has an instrument pack lowered by 50mm to improve the driver’s field of vision, the driver’s seat is mounted 25mm lower and there is a new 12.3in digital screen.
The GR Yaris gains the Toyota Safety Sense systems, sat-nav and a digital key. Picking the DCT auto brings a JBL stereo, forged alloy wheels and parking sensors.
There is one new colour – Precious Metal – in addition to Emotional Red, Precious Black and Super White/Platinum White Pearlescent. The core paint options are based on the palette of the Toyota Gazoo Racing livery.
The original 2020 GR Yaris was capable of a 0-62mph sprint in just 5.5 seconds and a top speed limited to 143mph. We expect those figures to improve substantially and will update this story once the 2024 model is homologated.
Theoretically, the all-wheel drive system allows for power to be shifted 100 per cent to either the front or rear wheels. However, the set modes in the car are Normal (60 per cent front), Sport (30 per cent front) and Track (50 per cent front) with the latter implying that Track is designed both for tarmac and loose rally-type surfaces.
What about handling properties?
The GR Yaris is a bit of a Frankenstein’s monster, as it uses the front half of Toyota’s GA-B platform (first seen on the new Yaris hatch) and the rear half of the GA-C platform (found on cars like the Corolla and C-HR). That combination allows for a MacPherson strut front/double wishbone rear suspension set-up. Grooved 356mm brakes with four-piston calipers are standard.
For 2024 the chassis has been strengthened with 13% more spot welds and 24% more structural adhesive, spring rates are revised and the shock absorber mounting assemblies are toughened. The Circuit model – the only version to be offered in the UK – adds an additional radiator, intercooler spray and modified air intake.
Special editions incoming…
Look out for two special editions of the new 2024 Toyota GR Yaris: The Sébastien Ogier Special Edition and Kalle Rovanperä Special Edition will be unveiled at the Monte Carlo Rally, taking place from 25-28 January 2024.
Watch our Toyota GR Yaris review of the 2020 original in our film below.