With all the excitement about the GR Corolla likely going on sale in the UK, it’s been easy to forget about its little sibling and our 2024 Car of the Year, the Toyota GR Yaris. That’s partly because the facelifted version was only available in limited numbers, and you’ve not been able to buy one new for a while.
There’s good news on that front, though: the GR Yaris is back on sale in Britain, and it should be better than ever. That’s because it’s gained the Aero Performance Package launched in Japan earlier this year, bringing a whole host of minor tweaks partially forged in the world of motorsport.
They include a new ducted bonnet to improve engine cooling and tested directly in the Japanese Rally Championship, a lift-reducing front lip that was developed in the Super Taikyu endurance racing series, and new brake ducts.
Elsewhere, you’ll find a sizeable adjustable wing for increased high-speed stability, a new aero-friendly underfloor covering, and rear bumper ducts, also designed to smooth out the airflow beneath the car. Last but by no means least is a rally-style vertical handbrake to make lurid skids even easier to initiate. Yes, and indeed please.
The other big news is that after the GR Yaris’ facelift early last year introduced the option of a new eight-speed automatic gearbox, it’s already been dropped, presumably after having the lowest take rate of any option ever fitted to a car. That means the car is once again manual only.
No changes to the rest of the mechanical setup, which remains a 1.6-litre turbo three-pot developing 276bhp rather than the 300bhp the GR Yaris gets in Japan, coupled to the torque-juggling GR-Four AWD system with limited-slip diffs on both ends. No word on whether the aero tweaks affect the 5.5-second 0-62mph run and the 143mph top speed.
Unlike in Japan, where the Aero Performance Package is an option pack, it’s the sole trim level offered in the UK, once again in ‘strictly limited numbers’. Pricing kicks off at £48,995, with UK deliveries kicking off in March of next year.
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Mike joined Car Throttle as a Staff Writer at the start of 2024, a role that sees him driving the news desk, as well as reviewing cars and (often unsuccessfully) pitching features on obscure Italian hatchbacks.
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