Peter Lyon
January 5, 2025
After winning multiple awards, like the U.K. Car of the Year, it was inevitable that Toyota would upgrade its might little GR Yaris. With prices starting at RM315,600 for the 6-speed manual version, the updated GR Yaris is now officially available in Malaysia. Although there is an automatic version in the pipeline that will join the 6-speed manual box.
The engine’s output has increased from 272 horsepower to 304 horsepower while torque has risen from 370 Nm to 400 Nm. Toyota’s recently designed eight-speed automatic transmission, known as the Gazoo Racing Direct Automatic, is without doubt the highlight here.
During the Japanese Rally Championship, the new Gazoo Racing Direct Automatic gearbox was tested and improved on a variety of road surfaces, including snow-covered roads in Finland.
Toyota Chairman and ‘master driver’ Akio Toyoda was an integral part of the R&D team that tested in the Toyota Gazoo Racing Rally Challenge. For sportier driving, the gearbox’s software has been specially tuned.
“It delicately senses the way the driver steps on the brakes and nudges the accelerator, and by doing so, it anticipates when gear shifting is necessary even before changes in vehicle behaviour occur, thus realising gear selection that reflects a driver’s intentions,” according to Toyota. Complicated stuff.
New GR Yaris Gets Plenty Of Input From The WRC Car
Toyota claims that improvements to the transmission’s control software and the use of highly heat-resistant friction material for the clutch have produced world-class gear shifting speeds.
The increased number of gears—from six in the manual to eight in the automatic—means that the gearbox has close-ratio gears. According to Toyota, it also utilises the engine’s power band to its fullest. A Torsen LSD will also be installed on the RZ “High Performance” models.
For the 8-speed automatic, a rally car-like gearbox cooler is standard and its intercooler spray nozzle is a further welcome addition. Both are included in the factory option for the Cooling Package. The Malaysian units do not come with the extra Circuit Package, which is available worldwide and eliminates the top speed limit and even anti-lag.
It doesn’t stop there. The new GR Yaris has more bolts (from one to three) to secure the shock absorbers to the body, whether it is in manual or automatic mode. Steering response and handling have improved as a result. For greater body rigidity, there are 24% more locations with structural adhesive applied and 13% more spot welding spots. Inside the cockpit, the centre display and control panel has been tilted 15-degrees towards the driver while special attention was given to the switch locations to enhance sporty driving.
Toyota says driving posture has been improved as well. This was achieved by lowering the driving position by 25 mm while adjusting the steering wheel position accordingly. Believe me, lower seats are better so thanks Toyota.
Moving the rearview mirror to the top of the windscreen has also increased forward visibility, which is also welcome especially if your tall like this writer.
In front of the driver is a brand-new 12.3-inch full-color TFT gauge display that was “inspired by rally drivers.” The 8-speed automatic variants employ an automatic transmission oil temperature display, and a gear position display with a visual warning for when downshifting is not possible due to high revs.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
Without question, this update has raised the bar to a new level in terms of technology, performance, and design. The question is, when it does arrive, will the new automatic be as well accepted as the manual? Given that a rapidly decreasing percentage of drivers can actually handle a manual, perhaps this auto box might be a shot in the arm for the GR Yaris.
