Those who have driven the new Toyota GR Yaris have nothing but praises for it, impressed by its handling and power. It’s a ‘Homologation Special’ which means it’s ready to be used for international motorsports competition – mainly rallies – right out of the showroom.
To satisfy homologation requirements by the FIA (the body which governs international motorsports), a manufacturer must produce at least 25,000 units of the model in identical form. Toyota, with its resources and also the enthusiastic support of a President who is a racing driver, decided to do this, and enthusiasts around the world have been delighted.
Related: What is a Homologation Special?
The 25,000 units are built at the same plant that made the Lexus LFA and exported globally for sale. The exceptional demand for the GR Yaris has also been evident in some countries. In Australia, for example, 1,000 units were sold within just one week.
For the Malaysian market, less than 200 units were imported by UMW Toyota Motor and they are now all sold out.
Potential great for Malaysian market
“When we were informed of the new Toyota GR Yaris by Toyota Motor Corporation, we knew it would have great potential in the Malaysian market, especially with the increasing motorsport and motorsport-related activities organized by UMW Toyota Motor,” said Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor.
“The enthusiastic fans were eagerly awaiting the launch of the model and wasted no time booking one right after we launched the car on December 17, 2020. And now, just over a month since its launch, we received such overwhelming response. We thank customers for their enthusiastic support,” he said.
The world’s most powerful 3-cylinder engine (261 bhp/360 Nm) and the lightest and smallest 1.6-litre turbo unit currently in production. It comes only with a 6-speed manual transmission and the new GR-Four 4-wheel drive system.
Available only from exclusive dealers
Priced from RM286,896 (excluding insurance, roadtax and sales tax exemption), the GR Yaris has been offered only through a limited number of dealerships in Malaysia which have the GR Garage. This is a dedicated sales channel for GR products such as the GR Supra, GR Yaris and Vios GR-Sport as well as performance items.
Explaining the GR brand, Akio Takeyama, UMW Toyota Motor’s Deputy Chairman and GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Chief Motorsports Officer, said: “The GR brand harnesses the experience gained by pushing the limits in motorsport and applies it to a whole new generation of high-performance cars from Toyota. The result is models like the GR Yaris that are fine examples of how we are making ever-better cars that are rewarding and fun to drive. Further to that, we are also more than pleased that we will be introducing even more GR models to the in the near future.”
Will there by additional units?
While each of the units imported to date now has an owner, there is a hint that some more might be available as Mr. Ravindran suggested that ‘keen parties continue to register their interest with our GR Garage Dealers nationwide’.
For information on the GR Garage network and GR products, visit toyota.com.my/tgrmalaysia/gr garage/.
