We take a closer look at the Toyota GR Yaris and why this particular model is offered at such a premium price although the Yaris moniker is commonly associated with affordability.
Not too long ago, if you told someone that you were considering a Toyota Yaris, they would think you were looking for a compact, reliable but mostly affordable vehicle. However, today, the only new Yaris you can get now are the GR Yaris derivatives, both of which cost more than R 500 000. But why does the new GR Yaris cost so much?
In order to understand the premium price, one needs to understand that the GR Yaris and normal Yaris are built for completely different reasons. Let us find out what the original purpose of the Toyota GR Yaris is.
Homologation
When a vehicle manufacturer wants to compete in particular racing events, which are governed by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), they are sometimes required to produce a number of production models as part of the homologation process. This is the case for the Toyota GR Yaris as the model was specifically developed for the 2021 World Rally Championship.
Homologation rules for the WRC require that the cars retain the same basic bodyshell as the production and thus the GR Yaris was developed with racing as the first priority. In order for Toyota to meet the homologation requirements as well as the needs of the racing team, the Japanese automaker had to combine two platforms; the front comes from the Yaris GA-B and the rear from the GA-C platform, which commonly features in the Corolla.
New developments
Unlike the 86 and the current Supra models which were co-developed with other manufacturers to reduce costs, the GR Yaris was developed solely by Toyota with the help of Gazoo Racing. The developments not only stop at the platform and body, but the Japanese automaker also had to come up with a brand new engine and an all-wheel-drive system for the sporty model.
All these development costs have to go somewhere and while Toyota absorbed much of the costs, some still trickled over to the prices of the two derivatives available today. And considering that Toyota only planned to produce 25 000 units globally, it makes sense that the model which incorporates these advanced racing technologies carries such a premium.
Racing
Currently, the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 is competing in the World Rally Championship and, up until this article has been written, has been showing promising results. However, the model is not only competing on the international stage but locally too. Toyota South Africa launched a new racing series that sees respected journalists, including our very own Sean Nurse, compete using what is essentially a Toyota GR Yaris 1.6T GR-Four Rally. The Toyota GR Cup will tag along with the local GTC series for a total of seven rounds in 2022.
GRrr-Pha
The Toyota GR Yaris models used in the local GR Cup have had the interior stripped of the rear bench and a roll-cage installed, semi-slick tyres fitted and braided brake lines installed. No modifications have been made to the performance of the vehicle and, as such, it proves that the Toyota GR Yaris is as close to a new racing car as the price can get you and you are allowed to drive it on public roads. For us at least, this justifies the price.
Keyword: Why does the Toyota GR Yaris cost so much