NEW TOYOTA GR HATCHES

Feedback from international motorsport series and a desire to continually improve its performance offerings have informed further development of the Gazoo Racing road cars. The most significant updates are for the 2025 GR Yaris and Corolla, and Toyota launched these upgraded models at Hampton Downs, the home of its local motorsport concern.

Both cars have already established a strong fanbase as they faithfully exhibit the motorsport DNA that drives Toyota's commitment to high-performance engineering and dynamic vehicle design. Changes include engine tweaks, adjustments to driving dynamics, some cooling and cosmetic changes, and a new eight-speed direct-shift automatic.

The 1618cc turbocharged three-cylinder now delivers the same 221kW in both GR Yaris and Corolla. Peak torque is up by 30Nm to 400Nm, and this complements the 8-speed ’box in particular. This transmission is big news: it was developed for motorsport use, features AI shift control and each gear has its own clutch pack for incredibly quick and precise shifting. The gearbox anticipates a driver’s intention and really delivers when left in D range, so drivers can simply concentrate on braking points and steering inputs. Launch control is a feature, and 98 Octane is now a fuelling prerequisite.

The GR Corolla starts at $65,990 for the six-speed manual and there’s a $4000 premium for the auto. There are increased spring rates at the front and a rebound spring has been added in the front shocks. More roll stiffness is the primary result, and you also notice a more positive connection to the steering. This was most apparent in timed slalom exercises and also during track lapping. Improved cooling performance has been achieved through redesigned air pods around the front bumper, while new side pods better manage airflow.

Changes to the GR Yaris are more extensive and pricing now ranges from $61,990 (manual) to $64,990 (auto). The eagle-eyed will spot a robust steel mesh grille has replaced plastic honeycomb up front and there are larger apertures for the new split front bumper. There’s more steel mesh for the rear valence and the exhaust tips have expanded and now sit lower to the ground.

Inside, the revised cabin boasts a 25mm lower driving position so that a driver’s heels sit higher relative to their hips. There’s now a 12.3-inch full-colour display screen, and the driver-oriented instrumentation panel is set 50mm lower, further improving visibility. A button manually activates the intercooler sprayer, and activating this can prevent up to 11kW of power loss.

For the manual cars, the clamping effort has been changed on the clutch, which gains some weighting, and the bite point has been shortened. You still get the satisfaction of blipping downshifts. Torque and power load can be split to the rear differential although a default 60:40 torque split gives the nimble, agile feel of a front-driven vehicle. Toyota says it’s engineered with a slight bias towards understeer from a potential 30:70 split.

The GR Yaris proved the quicker car in track activities thanks to the power and torque uptick, launch control and suspension tweaks while lighter overall weight worked to its advantage. Like the GR Corolla, it’s an extraordinary machine, and now conspicuously better value.