Inspired by Toyota’s motorsport engineering division, the Yaris GRMN is one of the most heavily-anticipated hot hatchbacks of the year. Thing is, Europe will get the newcomer in Q1 2018.
Updated for the 2017 model year, the Yaris doesn’t get more exciting than in GRMN specification. Having made its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, the subcompact-sized brawler now returns in the spotlight to show off its agility by battling it out against ten professional dancers.
The promo video at the center of this story is more than just your average marketing gibberish. From it, it’s fairly easy to notice that the GRMN can smoke its front tires without breaking a sweat. The clip also offers a glimpse into the aural quality of the 1.8-liter four-cylinder powerplant.
As if Toyota wanted to give the middle finger to the hot hatchback establishment, the GRMN boasts forced induction of the supercharged variety. A unique approach to squeezing more horsepower out of an engine, the blown four-pot is described as “highly responsive” and promises more than 210 PS. By American standards, the figure translates to 207 hp.
Mated to a six-speed manual transmission, the Yaris GRMN takes things up a notch with two best-in-class accolades: zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) and acceleration from 80 to 120 km/h (50 to 75 mph) in 4th gear. Don’t, however, think that it’s only the engine that makes this Toyota special.
Be it the three- or the five-door variant, the GRMN benefits from a reinforced chassis with additional bracing, dedicated shock absorbers, shorter springs, and extensive Nurburgring testing. The suspension, for its part, has been fine-tuned by Gazoo Racing. As for the handling front, Toyota augmented the front axle with a Torsen limited-slip differential.
It’s rather clear, then, that the 2018 Ford Fiesta ST and the facelifted Renault Clio R.S. have something to be afraid of. Look forward to Toyota dropping more official details on the Yaris GRMN in the coming months.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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