Toyota Yaris GR Review 2024

A rally car for the road, the Toyota GR Yaris is one of the most in-demand hot hatches on the market. Recent updates have made it even better to drive while the interior's also been revamped for 2024. You'll pay a hefty premium for one, though, so we'd recommend searching the classifieds for a used GR Yaris.

Developed with Toyota's motorsport division, Gazoo Racing, the GR Yaris meets the World Rally Championship (WRC) homologation rules. Toyota has to sell a certain number of GR Yaris models for it to be eligible for the WRC - which is why this is a much more special hot hatch than, say, a Ford Fiesta ST (RIP).

This isn't simply a Toyota Yaris with added carbonfibre and a bit more power. In fact, it shares very few parts with the regular Yaris. It has a bespoke three-door bodyshell, for example, while inside you'll find sporty bucket seats sitting behind a bespoke dashboard.

The Toyota GR Yaris also gets a unique engine - indeed, the most powerful three-cylinder engine you can buy. It's a 1.6-litre turbocharged unit that produces 261PS and 360Nm of torque, providing a 0-62mph time of just 5.2 seconds. Top speed is an electronically limited 143mph.

That's engine is combined with a satisfyingly snickety six-speed manual gearbox (try saying that during enthusiastic cornering) - but, new for 2024, you can also get the GR Yaris with an eight-speed automatic gearbox. That might sound like it's missing the point of such a car, but we actually quite like the GR Yaris auto - it's fast to respond and makes it a more useable everyday car.

While the Toyota GR Yaris certainly isn't as practical as a regular Toyota Yaris, the rear seats look slightly more accommodating than those in the back of a Toyota GR86. It's not got a particularly big boot, either, but you can always drop the rear seats and use it as a very cool two-seat hot hatch.

And it's got all the technology you'd expect from a modern Toyota. There's a very user-friendly infotainment system, for example, while driver-assist systems are on hand in case you get distracted.

The issue with the Toyota GR Yaris is - even if you are prepared to spend in excess of £44,000 for a new one - it's only being sold in limited numbers in the UK. The first allocation is already spoken for, following a special ballot held by Toyota.

As we touched on above, you'd be better looking for an older model in the classifieds. Early cars are holding onto their value well, but you can pick one up for around £27,000. The differences between one of these and a brand new GR Yaris are negligible, while Toyota's record for indestructibility should put your mind at rest about buying an older car.

As a rally car for the road, the Toyota GR Yaris is never going to provide the highest level of ride comfort. Nonetheless, the engineers have achieved a good balance in the suspension, to make it surprisingly comfortable in town or on longer journeys.

The driving position is excellent - especially on 2024 models with their slightly lowered driver's seat - and it’s easy to see all four corners of the car, allowing you to place it exactly where you want, whether parking or aiming for the apex on a track.

There’s a huge amount of grip from the GR-Four all-wheel-drive system, and models equipped with the Circuit Pack get Torsen limited-slip differentials.

Driving modes can adjust the drive front to rear: 60:40 in Normal mode, 50:50 in Track mode and 30:70 to the rear in Sport. This means you can be as sensible or as sideways as you want – when the conditions are suitable, naturally.

There’s only one engine choice for the Toyota GR Yaris and it’s not one of the firm’s hybrid options. Instead, it is the most powerful three-cylinder in the world, a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol unit developing 261PS and 390Nm of torque on pre-facelift cars, or 280PS on 2024- models.

It’s paired with a superb, short-shifting, six-speed manual gearbox that's an absolute joy to use. You can now get the GR Yaris with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, too, which isn't quite the party-pooper you might expect - it responds eagerly and doesn't hamper performance.

Toyota claims a 0-62mph time of 5.2 seconds (or 5.5 seconds on earlier cars) and an electronically limited top speed of 143mph, but the numbers don’t tell the full story of how much fun it is to rev this engine and get the most from it.

There is a message advising to avoid excessive acceleration until it has warmed up, but once it has the fun can really begin. Even the rev-matching system to replicate heel-and-toe down changes feels just right.

This is an addictive car that loves to be driven properly. Although there is some modern tech, in many ways it’s analogue and old-school – a car that you have to really become involved with to extract the most enjoyment from. 

Toyota prides itself on safety and the Toyota GR Yaris inherits the five-star Euro NCAP rating of other Yaris models.

It has the Toyota Safety Sense package as standard, which includes adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance and a pre-collision system with emergency steering assist, as well as airbags and Isofix child seat points.

Most of the driving assistance systems work well, although the lane keeping technology can be a bit intrusive at times. You might be inclined to switch it off.

While the Toyota Yaris might be synonymous with sensible motoring, the GR Yaris isn't as practical as alternatives. For a start, it's only available as a three-door hatchback, meaning you have to fold the front seats forward to provide access to the rear. Adults won’t find it easy to clamber through and will feel decidedly cramped when they do squeeze themselves inside.

The boot is small, too, capable of carrying just 174 litres of luggage. In plain English, that's half the size of the Hyundai i20 N's boot. If you're seeking a hot hatch that doubles up as a family car, we'd recommend the bigger Honda Civic Type R instead. However, if you treat the GR Yaris as a performance car that just so happens to have rear seats, it starts to look like a more practical option.

The Japanese firm is well known for its quality and the Toyota GR Yaris is no exception.

There are a few hard plastics inside, but these are balanced out by soft-touch materials on the dashboard and the sporty GR Ultrasuede seats.

Everything feels well put together with a solid click to the buttons, and a quality feel to the climate controls and trim parts.

Ride over a bumpy piece of road and there will be a few rattles and squeaks, but somehow they just feel part of its rallying character.

The Toyota GR Yaris has an eight-inch touchscreen on top of the dashboard on earlier models, or slightly lower down on the new 2024 GR Yaris. Although far from being the latest word in technology, it is easy to use.

It provides access to a range of car settings, as well as radio and audio streaming. It’s also compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which is useful because navigation is only available as an option – and not at all if you select the Circuit Pack.

Buttons on the steering wheel provide access to some elements of the infotainment system, and it has Bluetooth for taking phone calls.

When the Toyota GR Yaris first went on sale in 2021, it was priced from a smidgen over £31,000. Most buyers wanted one with the optional Circuit Pack, though, which pushed prices closer to £34,000.

That sounds pretty affordable today, when a new Toyota GR Yaris will cost you upwards of £44,000 - while certain special edition models command a price tag of £60,000. The facelifted model will be sold in much more limited numbers than the earlier car, though, and the initial UK allocation has all sold out - so don't expect to be able to haggle with your local Toyota dealer.

A budget of £27,000 will get you a used Toyota GR Yaris today. It'd be a good purchase, too - especially with Toyota's extensive warranty and impressive reliability record.

This is very much a hot hatch and, while it’s going to cost less to run than some more premium performance cars, don’t expect regular Toyota Yaris economics here.

Toyota says you can get around 34mpg fuel economy on the combined cycle, but you’ll have to drive it incredibly sensibly to achieve that. Anyone who does that should probably have bought a Yaris hybrid instead.

Insurance costs are going to vary immensely, depending on age, although they are unlikely to reach the level of past rally homologation specials like the Ford Escort RS Cosworth or Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

CO2 emissions are 186g/km and, even on non-Circuit Pack versions fitted with normal Dunlop Sport rubber, spirited driving is likely to require regular replacement of tyres.

Servicing costs should be reasonable, though, and Toyota throws in a warranty for up to 10 years (including track use).

Standard equipment on the 2024 Toyota GR Yaris includes rear privacy glass, black exterior highlights, keyless entry and start, automatic headlights and wipers, a three-spoke leather steering wheel, aluminium pedals, suede-like door trim, front sports seats, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, a limited slip differential, dual exhaust pipes, selectable drive modes, automatic high beam, adaptive LED headlights, rear-view camera, emergency steering assist, road sign assist, adaptive cruise control, hill-start assist and Isofix seat fixings. Infotainment features include an eight-inch navigation system, wireless smartphone integration, DAB radio and voice recognition.

Highlights on the Toyota GR Yaris Ogier include a 4WD ‘Ogier Mode’ with GR-FOUR AWD switch, bespoke Matte Stealth Grey exterior, blue interior stitching, blue brake calipers, GRMN carbon fibre rear spoiler, vinyl body stripe, front and rear parking sensors, blind spot monitor, safe exit assist, rear cross traffic alert, JBL premium sound system and a heated steering wheel.

The Toyota GR Yaris Rovanperä features exclusive three-tone paintwork, steering wheel stitching in Finnish national colours (blue/grey), carbon fibre GRMN rear wing, red brake calipers, Rovanperä specific drive modes, blind spot monitor and a heated steering wheel.