To coincide with its successful return to the World Rally Championship this year, Toyota will launch a high-performance version of its Yaris subcompact hatchback inspired by the Yaris rally car.
Called the Yaris GRMN, the car debuts next month at the 2017 Geneva auto show and is the first global model to be grouped in Toyota’s GRMN (Gazoo Racing Masters of Nürburgring) performance division. Previous GRMN cars, like the 86 GRMN (shown below), have been limited to the Japanese market.
Powering the Yaris GRMN is confirmed to be a supercharged 1.8-liter inline-4 delivering more than 205 horsepower. The car also benefits from an aero kit as well as upgrades to its brakes, suspension and wheels.
The Ford Fiesta ST and Volkswagen Polo GTI rival will debut alongside an updated Yaris range benefiting from design modifications that include new front and rear styling and a more modern cabin. Unfortunately, there’s been no mention of whether the Yaris GRMN will be sold in the United States.
With GRMN, Toyota is aiming to strengthen the performance image of its road cars by linking them with its racing efforts which in addition to WRC includes campaigns in NASCAR, Super GT and the World Endurance Championship. The goal is to turn it into a rival for Ford Performance and Nismo.
Stay tuned for the debut at the Geneva auto show on March 7. Toyota will also use the show to present a city car concept called the i-TRIL. To learn about some of the other vehicles set to appear, head to our dedicated hub.
