2024 Toyota GR Yaris minor change debuts – 8AT option, 32 PS/30 Nm extra, new driver-focussed cabin

The Toyota GR Yaris has received a minor change, and the ‘evolved’ car has been unveiled at the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon, four years after the rally-bred hatchback first surfaced at the tuner show. The major points are an eight-speed automatic option, more power and torque and a new driver-angled cockpit/revised driving position, among other things.

UPDATE: Live pics from Tokyo Auto Salon added

Since launch, TGR has been racing the GR Yaris in various motorsports, implementing “driver-first car-making” through repeated “breaking and fixing” in extreme environments. Feedback from pro race drivers and evaluation drivers – as well as Toyota’s own chairman cum Master Driver, Akio Toyoda a.k.a. Morizo – have been incorporated in this evolved car, ‘to comprehensively enhance vehicle performance’.

The big news is that the GR Yaris – previously manual-only – can now be had with an eight-speed auto called the Gazoo Racing Direct Automatic Transmission, which has “transmission speed and reliability that can be enjoyed by a wide range of people,” TGR says.

The motorsports arm says that the transmission control software has been optimised for sporty driving. It delicately senses the way the driver steps on the brakes and operates the accelerator, and by doing so, the box anticipates when gear shifting is necessary even before changes in vehicle behaviour occur, realising gear selection that reflects the driver’s intentions, “leading to gear selection that is similar to how professional drivers shift gears”.

Also, the use of highly heat-resistant friction material in the gear-shift clutch and enhancements to the transmission’s control software have resulted in ‘world-class gear-shifting speeds’, TGR says. There are more gears here than in the 6MT, which makes the most of the engine’s power band. The RZ “High performance” trim level is equipped with a Torsen LSD.

There’s more power and torque too – from the original 272 PS and 370 Nm to 304 PS and 400 Nm. That’s an increase of 32 PS and 30 Nm. The higher engine output and the availability of the auto gearbox requires improved cooling performance, so an ATF cooler comes standard on auto cars. In addition, a sub-radiator, cool air intake and intercooler spray are now available as a factory-installed Cooling Package option.

New to the GR Yaris is Drive Mode Select, where the electronic power steering, air con and powertrain changes according to Sport, Normal or Eco mode. Sport gets a different gauge cluster design too. The 4WD mode selection function remains as it is.

The changes go as deep as the body shell. The number of bolts fastening the body to the shock absorbers has been increased from one to three to suppress alignment changes during driving, thereby increasing the responsiveness of the vehicle to steering input, improving handling stability. The team also increased the number of spot welding points by around 13% and expanded the areas where structural adhesive is applied by approximately 24% – this improves body rigidity, which leads to better handling and ride comfort.

The GR Yaris can be maxed out on track with the Circuit Mode, which includes anti-lag control (controlled turbo lag reduction to improve acceleration response during re-acceleration), relaxation of the speed limiter (upon entering a circuit, as determined by GPS), max engine fan output and a shift timing indicator. Each function can be customised using a smartphone app.

We reach cosmetics. Perhaps that’s not the best word as changes to the 2024 GR Yaris’ exterior are functional. Up front, the lower grille features a steel mesh that is thin and lightweight but still strong (GR-FOUR clearly visible), and the sides of the lower front bumper have a new separable structure. The latter makes restoration and replacement work easier.

You’ll also find larger openings here for better cooling, and to the sides, there are outlets to exhaust heat from the sub-radiator and ATF cooler. An opening at the lower edge of the rear lower garnish allows air from under the floor to escape, which reduces drag and allows heat from the muffler to escape.

Even the cue that’s seemingly aesthetic – the new tail lamp cluster with full-width LED signatures – isn’t what it seems. TGR says that the upper and lower rear lamps have been consolidated to avoid damage and improve visibility, while the third brake light has been separated from the rear spoiler, increasing the wing’s customisability. Interestingly, there’s now no Toyota logo at the rear, a big contrast from the GR Supra’s double-signed butt.

The interior changes are more significant than on the outside, and while it’s not very pretty (like a bus to me, what do you think?), the new cockpit is said to be race car inspired, specifically by Super Taikyu Series and Japanese Rally Championship machines. The centre stack has been tilted 15 degrees towards the driver for enhanced visibility and operability – things are closer to the driver now.

The latter has also been improved by way of raising the shift lever 75 mm compared to the current CVT-equipped GR Yaris RS and placing it in the same position as the shift lever on the manual version. Even the automatic version gets a hand brake instead of the usual electronic parking brake. There’s even an option for a vertical parking brake, rally (or drift) style, for the competition-oriented RC trim level.

Also very racing is the new 12.3-inch colour instrument panel. For the auto variant, in addition to an automatic transmission oil temperature display, a visual warning has been added to the gear position display to augment the conventional sound-only alarm, which is to tell the driver that downshifting is not possible due to overly high rpms.

Last but not least, as we felt the original driving position was relatively high for a sports car, driving posture has been improved by lowering the driving position by 25 mm, with corresponding lowering of the steering wheel position. Also, forward visibility has been expanded by moving the rearview mirror to the top of the windshield and lowering the upper edge of the centre cluster by 50 mm.

All these changes make the GR Yaris more capable than the limited edition GRMN Yaris that was unveiled at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon. As such, good guy Gazoo is preparing an update kit to increase power output to the same level as the 2024 GR Yaris, with an exclusive emblem that signifies the upgrade.

TGR also announced that the GR Yaris RZ “High performance・Sébastien Ogier Edition” and GR Yaris RZ “High performance・Kalle Rovanperä Edition” concept models shown at last year’s Tokyo Auto Salon will be produced, based on the latest base car. The special editions will be unveiled at Rallye Monte Carlo later this month.

What do you think of this serious driving machine that just got more serious?

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