The Toyota GR Yaris, which was opened for pre-orders in Thailand last month, has now received an official price in the kingdom – it will go for 2.69 million baht there, which is equivalent to RM363,596. This rather high price should come as no surprise as the GR Yaris is priced close to, or higher than the Honda Civic Type R in other markets.

Thais with that sum to spend on a small, manual car won’t only get the hot hatch of the moment (and perhaps an instant future classic), but a special package that includes free one-year insurance and free three years or 60,000 km maintenance.

Owners will automatically become GR Yaris Club Thailand members, with access to club activities and track sessions with Toyota Gazoo Racing Motorsport Thailand. The lucky guys will also get to join racing school, or training courses offered by Toyota Gazoo Racing. All fun stuff for true car enthusiasts, which is the target audience for this model.

Available in white, red and black, the 1,280 kg GR Yaris is powered by a 1.6 litre turbocharged triple with 261 PS and 360 Nm of torque (Euro tune, 11 PS/10 Nm lower than Japan). The most powerful production 1.6L engine is paired to a six-speed manual and GR-Four AWD system, the latter with front and rear Torsen limited-slip differentials.

There’s also an aluminium central transfer case with an electronically-controlled multi-plate clutch that splits the torque 60:40 front to rear in Normal mode, 30:70 in Sport mode and 50:50 in Track mode, all selectable via a cabin switch. 0-100 km/h is done in 5.5 seconds and top speed is capped at 230 km/h.

If that all sounds very Evo and Impreza, you’re right. The GR Yaris was made to be the base for Toyota’s next WRC rally car – it’s a bespoke three-door hatch with the trailing edge of its roof 95 mm lower than the standard Euro-market Yaris, which is five-door-only. Although it has less doors, the GR Yaris is 60 mm wider and 55 mm longer than the five-door Yaris body.

Under the skin, the TNGA chassis is a hybrid of the GA-B and GA-C versions, which allows for double wishbone suspension to be fitted at the rear instead of a torsion beam, creating room for the differential and half shafts. There are also big brakes and weight saving measures such as aluminium body panels and a CFRP roof.

We already have the GR Supra in Malaysia, and with Thailand receiving the GR Yaris, it should be a matter of when and not if we will get the rally-inspired hot hatch. So, RM350k, OK?

GALLERY: Toyota GR Yaris, Euro-spec