A new Toyota GR Yaris RS has been launched in Japan with a power output that is almost the same with the Vios, which is underwhelming considering all the hype generated by this hot hatch.
It is underwhelming since GR stands for Gazoo Racing, which is Toyota’s motorsport division. As such, Toyota cars with the GR badge should ideally have significantly more power than stock cars available in the market such as the Vios.
Do you think the underwhelmed Yaris RS would sell?
The GR Yaris RS’s exterior looks sporty and worthy of being called a hot hatch. However, looking at its spec sheet is a different story.
Under the hood, it is equipped with a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine that generates 118 hp and 145 Nm of torque. To put things in perspective the current 1.5-liter Vios G variant, available in the Philippine market, generates 106 hp and 140 Nm of torque.
The GR Yaris RS’s engine is connected to a CVT that has a 10-speed sequential shiftmatic.
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Significant exterior updates have been made to complement its whopping engine power
Aside from the RS, the Japanese automaker also offers the RZ and RC variants. The RC and RZ models are powered by a bigger 1.6-liter 3-cylinder gasoline turbo engine that is capable of producing 268 hp and 370 Nm of torque – twice the power of the RS model.
These two new models will come with a 6-speed manual transmission and four-wheel drive with a mode dial switch (Normal/Sport/Track).
If you feel displeased with the Yaris RS, then you shouldn’t worry as this model will be available in Japan only. Toyota President Akio Toyoda, however, is still confident with the said released lineup as his company seeks to develop its people and its cars through the pursuit of making ever-better cars.
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Here's an interior view of the new GR Yaris
"The GR Yaris is a car developed for win. In the past, we tried to be successful in motorsports by taking a production car and adapting it for motorsports. GR Yaris is the very first model to reverse this process. There is no limit when it comes to the improvement of this car. The final touches to this car should be done by your own hands,” he said.
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