Toyota is readying to unleash one of the most in-demand new cars of 2024 - the updated GR Yaris.
The revised hot-hatch will cost from £44,250 to purchase new, while two special edition models - the GR Yaris Ogier Edition and the GR Yaris Rovanperä Edition - will set you back a cool £60,000.
But with UK-allocated cars in limited supply, Toyota is already trying to appease buyers who might not be able to get their mitts on one.
When the sales process begins in May, Toyota will contact both existing GR Yaris owners and anyone who joined the waiting list before May 2022 to see if they want to get involved.
Any interested parties will then enter a ballot just for the opportunity to purchase the new GR Yaris from the UK’s 2024 allocation.
As you can tell, it’s a complicated set-up that is sure to leave some hopefuls disappointed.
But the good news for lease customers is that the original Toyota GR Yaris was available on the leasing market. And you can actually still lease the current GR Yaris with Select Car Leasing from £420 per month*.
So, why is the all-wheel drive GR Yaris generating such a clamour?
We’re talking about a multi award-winner that was crowned ‘UK Car of the Year’ back in 2021.
The new car looks more aggressive than before and also gets more power, up to 280 hp, as well as 390 Nm of torque courtesy of a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine. Acceleration times are still to be revealed, but you should be looking at a 0-62mph sprint in around 5.3 seconds.
The GR Yaris’ body rigidity has been improved and the suspension strengthened, making it even more accomplished on the track.
A six-speed manual gearbox is fitted to the entry-level model, while a GR Yaris with an 8-speed ‘Gazoo Racing Direct Automatic’ box will set you back £45,750.
And then there’s the limited ‘Ogier’ and ‘Rovanperä’ editions, each priced from £60,000 and which both get the manual transmission.
They were created with personal input from Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team (TGR-WRT) champion drivers Sébastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä and get their own handling characteristics.
The Ogier Edition boasts a sleek ‘Stealth Grey’ matt paint finish.
And a Toyota spokesperson tells us: “‘Seb’ mode was developed by Ogier and tunes the front and rear Torsen limited-slip differentials and all-wheel drive to distribute torque to the rear axle so that the back of the car can be swung out with relative ease. This gives the driver a sense of being fully connected with the car and will help achieve quicker times with enhanced body control.”
The three-tone Rovanperä Edition, meanwhile, has two unique driving modes which were created specifically to ‘mimic the enthusiastic style of the WRC’s youngest champion’.
A Toyota spokesperson adds: “The first mode delivers a strong torque bias to the rear wheels in order to promote a particular technique that allows the car to rotate within a short radius. The second mode, ‘Kalle’, adopts similar oversteer-focused calibrations through the front and rear limited-slip differentials to promote what’s known as the ‘Scandinavian flick’, where the back end of the car is induced to swing outwards prior to entering a bend so the front end of the car is lined up to pull it forward cleanly on the exit. Both modes are made possible by the special inclusion of a constant-velocity rear differential unit.”
The Rovanperä Edition also gets an eye-catching carbon fibre spoiler at the rear.
*Prices include VAT. Credit is Subject to Status, Ts and Cs and Arrangement Fees apply. Excess mileage may apply. Stock levels and prices correct as of 04/04/24.
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