Making its debut at the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon, the new GR Yaris retains its familiar WRC aesthetic. The devil is all in the details with the new car - the spot the difference exterior styling might leave some scratching their heads, however, the facelift hides a comprehensive going-over of the road-going rally car. This is far more than a tweak in boost pressure and extra bells and whistles.

The styling is only so familiar because the car has proved so popular, with over 32,000 GR Yaris having been built since 2020, far outstripping Toyota's insecurity about meeting the requisite 25,000 bodyshells required to homologate the car. Back then, confidence was so low, Toyota manufactured a JDM-only Yaris with the pumped-up three-door bodyshell sans any of the special running gear, called the RS, in an attempt to secure the numbers. Today, the talk from Toyota is they are so happy with the cars' success, that they will continue to build it so long as emissions regulations permit.

2024 GR Yaris; Increased Power and Performance

The main headline, of course, is an increase in output from the in-line three-cylinder 1.6-litre turbocharged engine. When launched, the GR Yaris held the distinction of being the world’s most powerful three-cylinder production unit. Now power has been increased by 19.7bhp/20 DIN hp and the driver can call on an additional 30Nm of torque; maximum figures have risen to 276bhp/280 DIN hp and 390Nm.

When combined with the new eight-speed GAZOO Racing Direct Automatic Transmission, the 0-60 mph time is slashed by 0.3 seconds. Given the Japanese manufacturer publishes rather conservative performance figures, we wouldn't be surprised to see road tests clocking below 4.5s for the benchmark sprint. Toyota quoted 5.5 seconds for the outgoing model in the UK, yet Top Gear managed to record a 4.7s dash.