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The rally-bred rocket gets upgrades aplenty
WITH 106 UNITS sold locally in 2024, the GR Yaris made its case for being among the country’s most desired performance vehicles. Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) has obviously listened, sat up, and taken notice. The perennial triple crown (leading passenger-vehicle, commercial-vehicle, and overall auto sales) winner for 23 consecutive years straight now has revealed the newest iteration of the GR Yaris, which it also now makes available in either manual or automatic transmission.
In a release, TMP said that the Toyota GR Yaris is “born from the World Rally Championship (WRC) (and) embodies Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Akio Toyoda’s belief that ‘roads build cars.’ As part of its philosophy to continually develop ever-better cars, Toyota emphasizes motorsports as an important avenue to test the limits of its performance cars and develop them for the road.”
A “bolder and more aerodynamic design” decisively references its aforementioned rally heritage. The GR Yaris sports 18-inch 225/40 aluminum forged wheels, LED headlights, daytime running lamps, rear combination lamps and a rear spoiler. A significantly rehashed front fascia now features larger brake-cooling air intakes, while a plastic radiator cover has given way to a metal one for added protection and durability. Boot space remains at 174 liters.
It packs more grunt through its G16E-GTS heart — an inline three-cylinder, DOHC, four-valve Roller-Rocker engine — that submits 280ps and 390Nm. Toyota also has improved the GR Yaris’ drive mode select, along with a new sub radiator and intercooler spray to enhance both cooling and performance.
As mentioned, GR Yaris fans now can choose between two transmission variants: the 1.6L Turbo A/T with an eight-speed direct-shift automatic tranny (with paddle shifters), and the 1.6L Turbo M/T with six-speed intelligent manual transmission. Inside the cabin, TMP maintained that overall design is “driver-focused,” even as convenience features have been improved. A 12.3-inch TFT meter display gets a tire pressure monitor, and a seven-inch infotainment screen is thoughtfully equipped with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Based on a photo, a single, panel houses all the essential controls. The panel, which slants conspicuously to the driver, also includes the air-conditioning vents and controls — making these within easy reach. The front passenger has access to a USB-C charging port and a front tray on the dashboard — perfect for charging and stowing one’s cell phone or device.
The new Toyota GR Yaris also has additional safety complements such as a back monitor, intelligent clearance sonar, and the integration of the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) package that also tucks in the Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) system and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA). On top of these, the A/T variant comes with Dynamic Radar Cruise Control; the M/T variant comes with Adaptive Cruise Control.
Talking exclusively to “Velocity,” TMP President Masando Hashimoto said, “The GR Yaris is obviously not an ordinary car. The public has become a witness to its development, from the prototype that was used in actual races such as the Super Taikyu Series and the TGR Rally Challenge to the production cars showing their power in demanding motorsports environment. With the addition of the Automatic Transmission, we are extending the GR Yaris’ fun-to-drive spirit to more Toyota customers.” The executive continued, “The Gazoo Racing brand is best experienced through the power and excitement of our cars, and the GR Yaris brings exhilaration from the world’s rally courses to the roads of the Philippines. With both the A/T and M/T variants this 2025, we hope to increase our GR Yaris sales from last year to more than double.”
As for the pricing, the new GR Yaris will be offered at P3.391 million for the 1.6L Turbo M/T and P3.55 million for the 1.6L Turbo A/T. Buyers can choose from the following exterior hues: Super White, Emotional Red, Precious Black, and Precious Metal — the last being offered for the first time.
TMP is putting the spotlight on the new GR Yaris at Race Weekend 1 of the 2025 Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippine Cup on March 22 at the Clark International Speedway. Admission is free.
For more information on the GR Yaris, visit https://www.toyota.com.ph/gr-yaris or inquire at a GR performance dealership. To view the complete list of GR performance dealerships, visit https://www.toyota.com.ph/tgrphilippines/dealership. For updates, follow Toyota Gazoo Racing (tgrphilippines) on Facebook and Instagram, and TMP’s official accounts on Facebook and Instagram (toyotamotorph), ToyotaMotorPH on Twitter, or join the Viber community at Toyota PH for updates. — Kap Maceda Aguila
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