Toyota wows with surprising new car

It’s more powerful than a Subaru WRX, all-wheel-drive and wrapped in an aggressive three-door body.

But does it work for a family of four?

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Jules: It says Yaris but I don’t believe it. This one’s been living at the gym on a diet of spinach and steroids.

Iain: What a little weapon. The GR – Gazoo Racing – Yaris exists because World Rally Championship regulations insist road going versions of WRC racers must be produced.

Jules: So we performance-loving drivers benefit?

Iain: Oh yes. Homologation specials they’re called, and history shows most become collectors’ items.

Jules: I love it. It’s like a little toy. Such an angry front end, impossibly fat rear and tiny dimensions.

Iain: Outside, it shares only its front and rear lights and mirrors with a normal Yaris. It has a carbon fibre roof and the boot, bonnet and doors are lightweight aluminium.

Jules: Race stuff is expensive. How much for this baby?

Iain: Nearly $50,000 before on-roads if you can get one.

Jules: Ouch. What are its rivals?

Iain: Size-wise a Ford Fiesta ST or Hyundai i20N – both are much cheaper, but front-drive and way down on power. The larger Hyundai i30N or Renault Megane RS are similarly priced, but not all-wheel-drive.

THE LIVING SPACE

Jules: I thought it’d be stripped inside, but it’s quite sensible.

Iain: Except for the racy touches. I love the little steering wheel, leather short-throw manual gear knob, proper handbrake for gravel hairpins and well bolstered suede and leather sports seats.

Jules: You don’t suffer in here. There’s dual-zone climate control, JBL audio, heated seats and a seven-inch screen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, satnav and rear camera.

Iain: The door tops are too-hard plastic, as is a central bin for your phone. This needs to be rubber – my phone flies out when cornering.

Jules: The driving position is excellent. My feet fall perfectly on the aluminium pedals.

Iain: Not for me. The seat doesn’t drop anywhere near low enough. I want a race car driving position, not an SUV position. On track days, I’d struggle to fit in with a crash helmet.

Jules: You should try the back. That sloping roof and tiny windows make it really claustrophobic.

Iain: My head was wedged on the roof. Tiny rear seats are better than nothing. It makes transporting kids a possibility.

THE COMMUTE

Jules: Oh, it’s so much fun. That engine is so fruity and this car wants to race at every opportunity.

Iain: I never knew I could love a Toyota so much. It’s only a three-cylinder engine, but there’s an impossible 200kW and 370Nm. How?

Jules: I don’t care. Of the three drive modes, Track is most obnoxious. Such a bad boy rorty sound from those giant rear tail pipes.

Iain: But can it be a daily driver? I’d say just about. In Normal mode it isn’t too noisy, the ride is harsh but not spine-shattering and there are enough cabin comforts.

Jules: Not for me. I’d just want to rally it the whole time. I don’t think I could contain myself in traffic every day.

Iain: It can grate on the highway: at 110km/h, the engine spins at about 3000rpm.

THE SHOPPING

Jules: Er, where’s the boot?

Iain: It’s a shoebox. This isn’t your shopping car. In more relevant news, you can fold the rear seats and fit a spare set of wheels and tyres for the track.

SUNDAY RUN

Jules: A winding mountain pass please, or a dirt rally stage.

Iain: Or a tight and twisty racetrack. You can’t own a GR Yaris and not test it in such a way.

Jules: On our favourite test road it blew my mind. It’s breathtaking how it builds speed so brutally and then steers so quickly.

Iain: There’s so much grip, steering feedback and all-wheel-drive surety. On the right road it feels like a proper race car. Change drive modes and the torque shifts its bias between front and rear wheels, changing the driving experience. I love it.

Jules: And 100km/h in a little over five seconds? That’s supercar stuff of a few decades ago.

Iain: Let’s rejoice it’s a manual gearbox only. Totally involving. With so many sold, it shows there’s still an appetite for these driver’s cars.

THE FAMILY

Jules: There are only two rear seats and they’re cramped. Our two kids just about fitted.

Iain: At least safety kit is decent, and the quoted return of 7.6L/100km won’t smash the budget. We managed 8.2L/100km without sparing the horses.

Jules: It’d have to be a second car really. An expensive toy.

Iain: I can’t see their values falling much. They’re in huge demand. Services are every six months at $260 a pop, which will soon add up.

THE VERDICT

Jules: Cars this fun, awesome and exciting are so rare today. I’d not have expected Toyota to make something like the GR Yaris.

Iain: It’s so refreshing to drive a car that properly stirs the emotions. It’s an instant classic and unlike any hot hatch I’ve driven.

TOYOTA GR YARIS VITALS

Price: $49,500 plus on-roads

Warranty/servicing: 5 years/unl’td km (average); $1560 for 3 years

Engine: 1.6-litre 3-cyl turbo petrol, 200kW/370Nm

Safety: Six airbags, auto emergency braking, active cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist

Thirst: 7.6L/100km

Spare: Repair kit

Boot: 141 litres