Toyota reveals updated GR Yaris

Toyota has updated the GR Yaris.

Top news for the new car is that it is now available with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This new automatic gearbox is also said to have been put through its paces by the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team drivers, who tested it on various road surfaces including the snow-covered roads in Finland.

The 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine has been revised so total output has been raised to 300bhp and peak torque now stands at 400Nm

Vehicles equipped with the automatic gearbox will come with an additional transmission fluid cooler, while a new 'Cooling Package' is also being offered for the car, which will complete it with a factory-installed sub-radiator, cool air intake, and intercooler sprayer. This package is said to be catered to those that want to partake in motorsports. The new eight-speed transmission is also said to deliver gear ratios that allow it to best make use of engine's power band.

Speaking of which, the 1.6-litre that serves duty in the Toyota GR Yaris has also been upgraded. The unit now produces a total of 300bhp for the Japanese market, up from the 268bhp output from before. Peak torque has also been raised to a new total of 400Nm, up from the 370Nm available from before.

Aiding control over all this power from the GR Yaris are Torsen limited-slip differentials at the front and back axle, as well as Gazoo Racing's GR Four all-wheel drive system. Toyota further states that the chassis of the car has received a 13% increase in total spot welding points, as well as 24% more structural adhesive, both to raise body rigidity for better handling and ride comfort.

The updated GR Yaris gets enlarged intakes at either end of the front bumper, alongside a new steel mesh lower front grille

The Toyota GR Yaris has also gained a new 'Circuit Mode' driving mode that delivers reduced turbo lag for harder acceleration out of corners and raises the electronically limited top speed of the vehicle.

And you'll also be able to better make use of this added power from the engine, thanks to the car's redesigned cabin.

Here, the driver's seating position has been lowered by 25mm, and greater visibility is offered thanks to a lowering of the front dashboard by 50mm. The position of the car's gear lever is also said to have been raised to bring it closer to the steering wheel, while vehicles equipped with the automatic transmission will still sport a conventional hand brake. Also new here is a 12.3-inch full-colour digital gauge display that replaces the analogue dials from the previous car.

A new 12.3-inch digital display now offers all the necessary driving information in the GR Yaris, replacing the analog dials used in the outgoing car

On the exterior, the Toyota GR Yaris now gets a steel mesh lower front grille, while the sides of the lower part of its front bumper are said to be removable (so as to make replacement work easier after it has been used for competition), the intakes at either side have also been enlarged.

And at the rear, the car has now consolidated its upper and lower lamps within a single housing, a move said to improve the car's visibility in competitions. The third brake light is also now positioned within this housing to as to make customisation of the rear spoiler easier.