The all-new 2021 Toyota GR Yaris was launched in Japan last September. The car was born as a vehicle that anyone can drive the way they want with peace of mind on any road in the world. And it is no surprise that despite its compact size, it packs a punch in terms of specs, capabilities and functionality because it was built after incorporating the lessons learnt from the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team.

Speed, safety, driving experience and extremely competitive, the GR Yaris has it all! Toyota didn’t only depend on the opinions and feedback from their own drivers, they also listened to the evaluations given by non- Toyota professional drivers from the early stages of development.

The driving force behind the GR Yaris was Toyota’s President Akio Toyoda himself who is also known as Morizo, the master driver persona. When the car was launched Morizo drove it and showed it to the world through a Virtual Reality drive along. Master driver Morizo wanted to “restore the Toyota sports cars,” which led to the creation of the new GR Yaris. It is the first Toyota vehicle developed with the reversed concept of turning a motorsports car into a production car.

The main features of the new GR Yaris include vehicle packaging with attention paid to aerodynamics, light weight, and high rigidity. The high power of a newly-developed 1.6-liter in-line three-cylinder intercooler turbo engine combined with the “GR-FOUR,” a newly-developed sports 4WD system, to convey power to all four wheels. Created from three distinctive models: the base RZ, RS and the RC.

The RZ is the base model and is a high-output model that offers outstanding driving stability, exceptional acceleration, and the pleasing feel of a revving engine. The RZ “High performance” with even higher marginal performance is also available. A newly-developed compact, lightweight, and high-power G16E-GTS 1.6-liter in-line three-cylinder inter-cooler turbo engine appears in the car. An air-cooled inter-cooler with a cooling-spray function is the standard on the gives the RZ its “High performance”.

The driving experience is enhanced with the newly-developed “GR-FOUR” sports 4WD system with a variable front and rear driving force system using a multi-plate clutch Torsen LSD front and rear differentials are standard on the RZ “High performance”. The model has also adopted an “iMT”4 six- speed manual transmission. It is also equipped with BBS forged aluminum wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S radial tires.

Next is the RS, which is “the fun to drive” model that enables anyone to casually enjoy driving the GR Yaris. The M15A-FKS 1.5-liter in-line three- cylinder Dynamic Force Engine based on the TNGA approach makes this an exciting and powerful car. Direct Shift-CVT with an additional gear for starting up and powerful and responsive performance from low to high speeds. It also comes equipped with a 10-speed sequential shiftmatic paddle shifter that provides the feel of a manual. The RS also provides low fuel consumption of 18.2 km/l5 in WLTC mode as well as the pleasure of using the power not just during sports driving, but at all speeds in everyday activities, and in enjoying controlling the vehicle exactly as designed.

Finally, for the more competitive driver, the RC. A model ideal for customization as a base model for competing in motorsports or other applications. It is based on the RZ but all unnecessary equipment not needed for driving was eliminated. It maintains basic performance with the G16E-GTS 1.6-liter in-line three-cylinder inter-cooler turbo engine and “GR-FOUR” sports 4WD system. The 16-inch ventilated disc brakes adopted in consideration of installation of small-diameter tires for rally use.

The release of the car wasn’t the only exciting news, “GR PARTS” for customization that maximizes the appeal of the GR Yaris was announced and launched. The extensive lineup of parts supports the pleasure of driving by those who participate in races with the GR Yaris and those who enjoy driving in everyday activities. The GR Parts (all grades except the RS; sales limited to the GR Garage) were specially created with outside professional drivers in accordance with racing specifications. Technology for winning races has been unsparingly incorporated.

In addition, the GR FACTORY, an exclusive production line, has been created at the Motomachi Plant, where each sports model has been produced, to build into cars the performance sought through development by takumi (master craftsmanship) team members.

The all-new GR Yaris is the kind of car that excites all types of drivers. From city dwellers who want a dependable and comfortable car on the road that can also perform on the racetrack to more competitive drivers who want to advance their racing careers.

Interested in the feisty GR Yaris? Visit toyota.com.kw, call 1803803, or follow @toyotakw on Instagram. Images courtesy of Mohamed Naser Al Sayer & Sons.