By now, we all know about the Toyota GR Yaris. It has a six-speed manual gearbox, 257 horsepower, all-wheel-drive, and plenty of qualities that make it an exciting driver’s car. According to a report from a Japanese site called car.watch.impression.co.jp, however, it seems that Toyota is currently developing an automatic version of this hot hatch.
The Toyota GR Yaris AT prototype [Photo source: car.watch.impression.co.jp]
Of note, the GR Yaris AT prototype was spotted at the Toyota Gazoo Racing Rally Challenge in Japan on March 13, 2022. The said car wasn’t merely on display, but it was actually entered as car #109 in the Rookie Racing GR Yaris division. Interestingly, the GR Yaris was driven by Toyota Motor Corporation’s Vice Chairman of the Board Shigeru Hayakawa.
The car uses an eight-speed automatic torque converter type gearbox. The key goal for this, at least according to Toyota, is for the driver to be able “to focus on driving fast.” This means smooth and responsive gear shifting. That said, the marque provided it with a tranny oil cooler positioned within the car’s front bumper.
Furthermore, the said gearbox can actually be controlled manually with paddle shifters. But despite that, Toyota is also intending it to be driven faster even when the gear shift lever is left in the “D” position.
A peek inside the prototype's interior [Photo source: car.watch.impression.co.jp]
Currently, the Toyota GR Yaris AT is still pretty much a prototype. Sure, it can enter races, but even Vice Chairman Hayakawa shared that the team already found problems that need to be addressed. For instance, he actually admitted to breaking the car as he was pushing it to its limits.
The shifter itself was also picked out from Toyota’s sizable catalog of parts, and it somewhat looks a bit out of place as it isn’t sporty-looking at all.
Regardless, we are of the opinion that many will be looking forward to seeing a production version of the GR Yaris AT. So for more updates on this, keep it here on Philkotse.
Know more about Toyota GR Yaris 2024
The Toyota GR Yaris Philippines is a subcompact hatchback belonging to the hot hatch or sports compact category. It is offered in the Philippines with one variant only which is priced at Php 2,940,000. Powering this Japanese hot hatch is a 1.6-liter G16E-GTS turbocharged inline-3 gasoline engine that is capable of generating 257 horsepower and 360 Nm of torque, making it the most powerful commercially available three-cylinder engine to date. Only a 6-speed manual is the sole transmission option with an all-wheel-drive system.
Dimensions-wise, the GR Yaris comes with a length of 3,995 mm, a width of 1,805 mm, and a height of 1,455 mm, including ground clearance and wheelbase rated at 124 mm and 2,560 mm, respectively. Locally, Gazoo Racing's hot hatch is competing against the Honda Civic Type R.
Toyota GR Yaris Launch
The XP210 Yaris was initially introduced in 2019 via a simultaneous launch event in Japan and the Netherlands, eventually going on sale in Japan in 2020. The performance-oriented GR Yaris was then unveiled at the 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon and has already been available in several markets including the UK. Recently, Toyota Motor Philippines announced that the GR Yaris will also be sold locally starting August 14, 2021.
Toyota GR Yaris Exterior
As a sporty model, the GR Yaris sports functional design elements. The large grille is meant to provide optimal cooling, and the car also gets a carbon fiber roof to ensure a lower center of gravity. It also comes standard with a set of 18-inch BBS forged alloy wheels, wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. For visibility, it comes standard with a pair of 3-tier LED headlamps, LED taillights, and front foglamps.
Toyota GR Yaris Interior
On paper, the GR Yaris can fit up to five occupants. The front seats are clad in a combination of leather and suede, whereas the rear seats are covered in leather. As expected, the front seats of the car get a lot of bolstering.
To keep its occupants cool, the model also comes standard with an automatic climate control system. The driver also has access to a hand-operated parking brake, tilt-and-telescopic multi-function steering, and a leather-wrapped gear shift lever.
Technology & Safety Features
Dominating the dash is a touchscreen head unit with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. In terms of safety, the model also comes with standard features you’d expect on many roadgoing cars. It has anti-lock braking with electronic brake-force distribution, six airbags, stability control, traction control, and hill-start assist, among others.
In addition, the GR Yaris also comes with the Toyota Safety Sense driver-assist suite. This kit includes automatic high beams, lane trace assist, and a pre-collision collision system.
Platform & Chassis
As mentioned, the GR Yaris is based on the XP210 series Yaris that’s available in other markets. To be more specific, however, this hot hatch uses a modified version of the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform. The front half of the car uses the TNGA GA-B, while the rear comprises the TNGA GA-C. This spliced TNGA chassis was decided upon by Toyota and Gazoo Racing, in order to accommodate the GR-Four 4WD system.
Suspension-wise, it also differs from the regular XP210 Yaris in that the GR Yaris has a beefier double wishbone suspension layout. The latter is also much lighter due to its aluminum hood, trunk lid, and door panels. And lastly, it also has a front and rear torsen limited-slip differential.
Toyota GR Yaris Engine
Under the hood of the GR Yaris is a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-3 DOHC gasoline engine, capable of up to 257 horsepower and 360 Nm of torque. It is paired with a six-speed intelligent manual transmission, which sends power to all of its wheels via the GR-Four 4WD system.
The only car that can be compared to the Toyota GR Yaris in the Philippines is the Honda Civic Type R. Toyota's hot hatch offers AWD, while Honda's model is designed with a front-wheel-drive system.
Available colors for the Toyota GR Yaris Philippines are Super White II, Emotional Red. and Precious Black.
Toyota GR Yaris Pros & Cons
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₱ 2,740,000
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