Toyota GR Yaris - Engines, performance and drive

The brand hasn’t been shy in declaring the ​Toyota GR Yaris ‘A World Rally Car for the road’, so it needed to ensure its three-door pocket rocket lives up to such a billing.

Things get off to a pretty good start with its turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine, which is designed to comply with world rally regulations. This is by far one of the most powerful three-pots in the world, and it’s more than happy to be worked hard. There’s a decent soundtrack to be enjoyed, too, along with plenty of mischievous turbo whistle.

A part to a series of midlife updates in 2024, the facelifted GR Yaris was given a power boost. Although its original outputs of 257bhp and 360Nm weren’t exactly modest, the fiery little three-cyl now pumps out 276bhp and 390Nm of torque. This large dose of power is combined with a kerb weight of less than 1,300kg, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out the result.

What is the Toyota GR Yaris like to drive?

In town

The GR Yaris’ small size means it’s pretty much as easy to manoeuvre around the urban streets as its hybrid-powered namesake. The ride remains firm over imperfections and bumps at lower speeds, but it’s still perfectly tolerable.

On A- and B-roads

Hit the open road and, to put it simply, the GR Yaris is as fast as it is agile. It feels planted in just about every scenario and really inspires confidence as you push things to the limit (provided it’s wearing suitable tyres). Once the turbo spools up, the little Yaris starts to gain momentum at a serious pace, so you’ll need to keep a very close eye on the speedometer if you go anywhere near a public road.

Along with its tweaks to the engine, Toyota has also revised some of the suspension components. The front anti-roll bar has been stiffened and all four springs have been firmed up, too.

The GR Yaris is fitted with a GR-Four all-wheel-drive system as standard, and this has been revised in the facelifted car. It features three separate driving modes: Normal, Gravel and Track, with each one varying the power that’s sent to the front and rear wheels. 

On the motorway

The GR Yaris does a better job being a motorway cruiser than its looks would have many believe, but it’s still a firm-riding, loud and rather thirsty car, so it’s difficult to recommend for a daily long-distance commute.

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Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed

The revised 1.6-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged engine produces 276bhp and 390Nm between 3,250-4,600rpm, resulting in a claimed 0-62mph time of 5.2 seconds and a 143mph maximum speed. In comparison, our 2024 Hot Hatch of the Year, the Honda Civic Type R will complete the landmark sprint in 5.4 seconds.

While the thought of an automatic hot hatch will do little more than incur disgust in the eyes of some enthusiasts, the Toyota’s optional eight-speed Gazoo Racing Direct Automatic is a highly impressive transmission with rapid responses. 

The six-speed manual does add in another layer of driver engagement, though, and it’s £1,500 cheaper to buy. Both put on a tremendously good show, so it’s just a question of personal preference and budget.

But, to focus solely on straight-line speed would be to do the GR Yaris a disservice, as its ability to travel cross-country with unnatural speed and agility would put most supercars to shame — it’s that good.