You noticed it quietly previewed on the 2024 Kuala Lumpur Worldwide Mobility Present (KLIMS) final month, and right here’s the Toyota GR Yaris facelift once more, this time formally launched in Malaysia on the Toyota Gazoo Racing Season 7 finale, occurring at the moment on the Petronas Sepang Worldwide Circuit.
New to this minor change, which was unveiled a yr in the past on the Tokyo Auto Salon, is an eight-speed automated possibility, however the 8AT is not being launched but – for now, it’s simply the six-speed handbook going for RM315,600. By the best way, the pre-facelift 6MT was launched right here in December 2020 for RM300k.
Surfacing 4 years after the rally-bred hatchback first surfaced at TAS, the facelift’s main factors are the aforementioned 8AT, extra energy and torque and a brand new driver-angled cockpit/revised driving place.
Beforehand manual-only, the GR Yaris can now be had with an eight-speed auto known as the Gazoo Racing Direct Automated Transmission, which has “transmission velocity and reliability that may be loved by a variety of individuals,” TGR says. We perceive that UMW Toyota Motor might be introducing the automated GR Yaris additional down the road as allocations can be found.
Gearbox apart, there’s extra energy and torque from the G16E-GTS – 300 PS and 400 Nm is a rise of 39 PS and 40 Nm from the European-spec engine in our official pre-facelift import by UMWT. The JDM pre-minor change had 272 PS and 370 Nm.
The upper engine output and the supply of the auto gearbox requires improved cooling efficiency, so an ATF cooler comes customary on auto vehicles. As well as, a sub-radiator, cool air consumption and intercooler spray are actually accessible as a factory-installed Cooling Bundle possibility.
New to the GR Yaris is Drive Mode Choose, the place the digital energy steering, air conditioning and powertrain adjustments in accordance with Sport, Regular or Eco mode. Sport will get a special gauge cluster design too. The 4WD mode choice operate stays as it’s.
The adjustments go as deep because the physique shell. The variety of bolts fastening the physique to the shock absorbers has been elevated from one to a few to suppress alignment adjustments throughout driving, thereby growing the responsiveness of the car to steering enter, enhancing dealing with stability. The group additionally elevated the variety of spot welding factors by round 13% and expanded the areas the place structural adhesive is utilized by roughly 24% – this improves physique rigidity, which results in higher dealing with and experience consolation.
The GR Yaris could be maxed out on observe with the Circuit Mode, which incorporates anti-lag management (managed turbo lag discount to enhance acceleration response throughout re-acceleration), rest of the velocity limiter, max engine fan output and a shift timing indicator.
On to cosmetics. Maybe not the very best phrase as adjustments to the GR Yaris’ exterior are useful. Up entrance, the decrease grille contains a metal mesh that’s skinny and light-weight however nonetheless robust (GR-FOUR clearly seen), and the perimeters of the decrease entrance bumper have a brand new separable construction. The latter makes restoration and alternative work simpler.
You’ll additionally discover bigger openings right here for higher cooling, and to the perimeters, there are retailers to exhaust warmth from the sub-radiator and ATF cooler. A gap on the decrease fringe of the rear decrease garnish permits air from underneath the ground to flee, which reduces drag and permits warmth from the muffler to flee.
Even the cue that we thought was aesthetic – the brand new tail lamp cluster with full-width LED signatures – isn’t what it appears. TGR says that the higher and decrease rear lamps have been consolidated to keep away from harm and enhance visibility, whereas the third brake mild has been separated from the rear spoiler, growing the wing’s customisability. Did you discover that there’s no Toyota brand on the rear now?
The inside adjustments are extra important than on the surface, and whereas it’s not fairly (jogs my memory of a bus, what do you suppose?), the brand new cockpit is alleged to be race automobile impressed, particularly by Tremendous Taikyu Collection and Japanese Rally Championship machines. The centre stack has been tilted 15 levels in direction of the driving force for enhanced visibility and operability – issues are nearer to the driving force now.
The latter has additionally been improved by the use of elevating the shift lever 75 mm in comparison with the present CVT-equipped GR Yaris RS and putting it in the identical place because the shift lever on the handbook model. Even the automated model will get a hand brake as an alternative of the standard digital parking brake.
Additionally very racing is the brand new 12.3-inch color instrument panel. For the auto variant, along with an automated transmission oil temperature show, a visible warning has been added to the gear place show to reinforce the standard sound-only alarm, which is to inform the driving force that downshifting just isn’t doable as a result of overly excessive rpms.
Final however undoubtedly not least, as we felt the unique driving place was comparatively excessive for a sports activities automobile, driving posture has been improved by reducing the driving place by 25 mm, with corresponding reducing of the steering wheel place. Additionally, ahead visibility has been expanded by transferring the rearview mirror to the highest of the windshield and reducing the higher fringe of the centre cluster by 50 mm.
The 2025 GR Yaris is on the market in 4 colors, together with the brand new Valuable Steel. As soon as once more, it’s yours for RM315,600. No scarcity of small however important adjustments – what do you consider this critical efficiency machine that has obtained much more critical? And now that we all know an automated is on the market and coming quickly, will you be ready for that or it’s three pedals all the best way?
GALLERY: Toyota GR Yaris facelift at KLIMS 2024
GALLERY: Toyota GR Yaris facelift at Tokyo Auto Salon 2024
GALLERY: Toyota GR Yaris facelift official pictures
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