Toyota GR Yaris 2023 with a new set of units and very special additions to the track will retire the Golf R and A35
The 2023 Toyota GR Yaris is considered one of the best sports cars today. Other than being a Yaris “Yaris” with sporty improvements, it is a homogeneous model with a special development that allows Toyota to compete in the World Rally Championship. This Yaris is small in size, but it is a giant sports car. in 2023. It has serious performance thanks to plenty of mechanical upgrades developed through Toyota’s World Rally program.

Designed as a special incarnation of Toyota’s entry into the 2021 World Rally Championship, the 2023 Toyota GR Yaris differs significantly from the Yaris road car with which it shares the name. To discover how different it is, it’s the everyday weapon for the trails, a functional sports car, or anything in between. The Yaris is an interpretation of what Toyota president Akio Toyoda said during an announcement in early 2017 when he was developing the Toyota GR Yaris.
Since the dawn of TNGA platform products, Toyota models have taken on a fluid, organic flavor in terms of driving dynamics, but the Yaris is a different case. It was developed by a division within the Japanese manufacturer called Toyota Gazoo Racing, which is a special division for sports cars to meet the desires of racing fans. Toyoda San commissioned the Gazoo division with many of the company’s products, which became GR symbols.
The exterior design of the Toyota GR Yaris 2023
Visually, the Yaris Cross GR Sport features Gazoo Racing logos placed on the front grille and tailgate, 18-inch aluminum wheels wrapped in Falken FK510 SUV tires, and slightly redesigned front and rear aprons. Take one look at it, the old car’s upside-down grille has been ditched in favor of a huge grille in the front bumper, just enough to keep all the air intakes safely contained.




The 2023 Toyota GR Yaris has received some aggressive styling touches. Unless you know what you’re looking for, it flies fairly well under the radar. It’s a stretched-out version of the typical Yaris with a loud front grille. Note the front with some split air intakes, contrasting black trim, and a set of wheel arches so bulging, like a giant snowpack, that wrap around 18-inch BBS alloy wheels, behind them Torsen limited-slip differentials front and rear, tuned suspension For racing, red brake calipers.
The roof of the 2023 Toyota GR Yaris is now 10 cm lower than that of the standard car, and is made of carbon fiber – just like the roof of the BMW M4. You also get a unique three-door design instead of the five-door Yaris. The changes to the GR Yaris’ rear end are relatively subtle but include a pair of real exhaust pipes and a slimmed-down rear diffuser – though this probably doesn’t do much to improve the Yaris’ aerodynamics.
Interior cabin design of Toyota GR Yaris 2023
Inside, the cabin of the new Toyota GR Yaris greets you. With some sporty suede accents for the heated sport seats and door surrounds, it’s accompanied by a chunky leather steering wheel. Decorated with some contrasting red stitching, the seats are sporty and supportive. GR badges are dotted.



The seats provide some significant lateral reinforcement to hold you in place, with a low seating position, accommodating shorter drivers without issue. The interior is still very similar to the previous Yaris, meaning it feels solid but looks a little bland.
Toyota GR Yaris 2023 dashboard
The Toyota GR Yaris 2023 dashboard comes with a design familiar to many modern Toyota cars that is easy to use, although the infotainment system is a disappointment for a car at this price. Atop the dashboard is an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The graphics feel a little dated and the system isn’t particularly fast.

Using the screen is easy, as it is flanked by physical shortcut buttons. Enables you to mirror the two types of smartphone, Toyota GR Yaris 2023 does not come with a built-in navigation system, and satellite navigation is added with the convenience package.
Driving mode in Toyota R Yaris 2023
The driver of the 2023 Toyota GR Yaris benefits from a supportive, hugging sports driver’s seat with excellent adjustability, and a steering wheel that moves up, down, forwards and back with plenty of volume. you sit a little higher than the competition,

The steering wheel and pedals are well laid out and aligned. To your right, the gear lever has been raised 5 cm to help you reach it more easily.
Vision in Toyota GR Yaris 2023
In terms of visibility, this high seating position gives you great visibility forward and to the side, but because the GR has a heavily tapered roofline, the rear window is small.

The lack of a small rear screen wiper means you can’t see anything behind you in winter, and to help mitigate that, all GRs come with a rearview camera.
Spaciousness and spaciousness in Toyota GR Yaris 2023
The space in the front of the Toyota GR Yaris 2023 is quite acceptable, it suits all shapes and sizes of the driver, the head and leg room are good. The front seats go up about a foot, and if you’re tall, the GR’s roofline comes close to your head, and you need to tilt it back.

Rear seat space is only acceptable for children and short adults, as headroom and legroom are minimal, and unlike the regular five-door Yaris, the GR only has three doors, and getting in and out of the rear seats is a bit tricky. And the passenger seat only slides and tilts forward with the pull of one lever.
Luggage box in Toyota GR Yaris 2023

The 2023 Toyota GR Yaris has a decent glove box and plenty of storage boxes front and rear. The GR can only carry 174 liters of luggage compared to the standard Yaris’ capacity of 286 liters. This is due to the GR’s revised rear suspension, and a new all-wheel drive system under the rear floor.
Toyota GR Yaris 2023 engine
If you thought three-cylinder engines were only good for dull city cars, think again. Because the 2023 Toyota GR Yaris engine produces 257 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque, and pushes it from rest to 62 mph in 5.5 seconds, before reaching a limited top speed of 143 mph. The road is powered by a six-speed manual transmission and GR-Four all-wheel drive.




Toyota has taken several weight-saving measures, such as a carbon roof, aluminum hood, doors and tailgate, which means the GR engine is responsible for pushing 1,280 kg, delivering a power-to-weight ratio of 201 hp per ton. As you can imagine, this amazing little engine means there’s 200kW of power and 370Nm on tap from the turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder.
And when it comes to the six-speed manual transmission, it feels like an evolution of the GT86. The similarly connected feel is exuded by the mechanical reaction, but there is a more precise movement and better polishing of the stick even if the throw is very long.
Driving impressions of the 2023 Toyota GR Yaris
Throw your thumb at the Toyota GR Yaris’ start button, and the three-cylinder engine springs to life with surprisingly little drama. And I noticed when the engine was cold while cruising around the city that it was a bit normal, and this feeling did not last. Once the engine heats up, the GR sparkles, maximum grunt available from 3000 rpm, and begins to pull with real gusto from the bottom of the rev range. It’s stronger than the numbers suggest.

As far as the improvement in on-track handling can be seen, the level of fun you can have on the road in either a GR Yaris or a Rallye is very comparable. And the Rallye’s track-tuned suspension includes a stiffer anti-roll bar and springs for a MacPherson strut front setup, giving it one of the most capable front axles you’ll find in a hot hatchback.
Toyota GR Yaris 2023 speed
It is fast and very fun to drive. We strapped on some timing gear, and its engine was impressive, with the GR completing its 0-60mph sprint in just 4.6 seconds. And of course, the all-wheel drive system certainly offered a huge advantage, it’s like an intricate puzzle. Where the GR’s performance is further enhanced by the tightly packed gear ratios, it’s an engine that loves to rev.
Steering in the 2023 Toyota GR Yaris
The 2023 Toyota GR Yaris’ weight, proportion, and feel are all in place, almost like old-school hydraulic-assisted steering. And you can feel the load on the steering in a wonderfully linear fashion the more inputs you apply. The Golf’s steering is faster than it is, but the Yaris doesn’t need trick variable ratio steering to be agile.

The handlebar is perfectly weighted around town, feels firm in the hands from take off and gradually gains weight as speed increases. And while under pressure, the steering rack gives you just enough feedback to know if and when the rear is about to misbehave. The steering response of the Yaris is much better than that of its competitors. The electric power steering system is precisely weighted and tuned to minimize feedback. Honestly, it’s pretty good.
Suspension in Toyota GE Yaris 2023
Ride quality can make or break a car. Great damping makes the car more fun to drive and to stay in. Its job is to absorb all the bumps, keeping the tires in contact with the road and the car level so you can focus on getting the car exactly where you want it. The GR Yaris does all of that albeit on the slick side of things. It’s busy at times, but never uncomfortable.

The optional Circuit Pack provides stiffer springs, dampers, anti-roll bars, and Torsen limited-slip differentials front and rear. With this package installed, the way the GR behaves on winding and challenging country roads is the same as the intelligent differentials enhance traction and agility even further. The GR never loses its composure on noisy country roads. Lumps and bumps are simply absorbed.
Driving modes in Toyota GR Yaris 2023
The GR features an intelligent all-wheel drive system that allows you to choose how the power is divided between the front and rear wheels: Normal mode provides a 60:40 split (front/rear), Sport mode splits it 30:70, and Sport mode lets you emulate your favorite rally champion by The way the car moves through the corner, and the best balance for fast lap times.
The handling and stability of the Toyota GR Yaris 2023
The adjustable AWD platform provides a 50-50, 60-40 and 70-30 power split between front and rear giving it a unique set of personality. It allows you to steer your vehicle for any stretch of corners and turns. But be careful not to go into a corner too quickly, somehow the front axle bites the ground in the middle of the corner, and it’s better to be patient with the accelerator pedal.

Yes you can put the GR into corners as hard as you like, it will feel engaged and pull you out of the corner. It’s a great sense of security that gives you the confidence to explore the limits of the vehicle. The chassis is well suited to all terrains, the short wheelbase and high body stiffness mean you’ll sometimes get a notable longitudinal move on straight undulations, the damping is excellent.
Four-wheel drive system in Toyota GR Yaris 2023
It’s the best all-wheel drive system Toyota has offered in 20 years. It can theoretically send 100% of the engine’s power to either axle, and across the three driving modes the driver can choose the primary split. Either the ratio is 60:40, or 30:70, and in the arenas it is divided into 50:50. The gear ratios of the all-wheel drive system mean more virtual torque to the rear wheels even when there is no front slip.

The difference between all modes is subtle but noticeable, and the GR Yaris navigates wet roads in nothing short of exquisite fashion. Its diminutive dimensions play a role in its direct point-to-point efficiency, far from the dynamic limitations you see in most cars.
Brakes on Toyota GR Yaris 2023
The brakes are one of, if not the, best I’ve ever felt. They are powerful, provide a great feel, and provide drivers with great confidence in their stopping power. The brakes provide a huge amount of stopping power, and I recorded a stopping speed of 0-100 km/h in 37 metres. on repeated attempts.

But I found the brake pedal to be a bit too high, making it difficult to use heel and toe in normal driving conditions where the brake pedal is slightly depressed. This is probably the only complaint I have in the entire driving experience.
Noise and vibration in Toyota GR Yaris 2023
Road noise is significant in this car, in part because the reduced weight includes some sound insulation, and the suspension, arches and body stiffness aren’t set up for NVH.
2023 Toyota GR Yaris problems
The problems are few. Many of this car’s rivals have a real appetite for running the rear end even under the most subtle provocations, but the GR Yaris is more grounded. And while it would be foolish to declare this a bad thing, we’re left wishing for more interaction down the road.
Crash test results for the 2023 Toyota GR Yaris

The European agency Euro NCAP has yet to test the 2023 Toyota GR Yaris, although other Toyota cars that share a similar platform have received the maximum five stars. The GR Yaris comes with Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, Lane Keeping Assist (a system to keep you in the center of your lane) and road sign recognition as standard. Blind spot monitoring is available if you opt for the Comfort package. Immobilizer and alarm are both standard.
Toyota GR Yaris 2023 reliability
Toyota ranks an impressive third out of 31 automakers in the reliability survey, with only Lexus and Mitsubishi ranking higher. And a five-year/100,000-mile manufacturer’s warranty is standard, and it’s one of the best in the business.
Value for money Toyota GR Yaris 2023
The Toyota GR Yaris is priced pretty much in line with larger, more powerful hot hatchbacks like the Ford Focus ST, Honda Civic, Renault Mégane RS, and VW Golf GTI. You may think that such a price is exorbitant, but you have to remember that Toyota GR Yaris 2023 is up there with the big boys.
Operating costs for the 2023 Toyota GR Yaris
Toyota offers great financing deals from time to time, which means you can have a GR Yaris while you’re driving for less per month than a Civic Type R or Golf GTI. Its 261-hp 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine won’t be as stingy on fuel as the diesel, and the official fuel economy figure of 34.3 mpg means that running costs won’t be as great.
Features of Toyota GR Yaris 2023
- The three-cylinder turbo engine revs relentlessly
- The grip of the front axle is almost unbelievable
- Beats some super sports cars at half or a quarter the price
- muscular appearance
- Amazingly good at speed
- Comfortable enough for everyday use
Disadvantages of Toyota GR Yaris 2023
- Instant cult status means long waiting lists
- The exhaust note is disappointing
- The infotainment system is not good
- The pleasure box is smaller than the standard Yaris
- Tire noise on the highway
- Rear headroom is tight
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