Rally-bred hot hatch now in the Philippines
Toyota wants to raise your heartbeats once again with the introduction of its latest and most anticipated Gazoo Racing model yet, the GR Yaris.
This is no ordinary hatchback. The GR Yaris was built to compete in the World Rally Championship, engineered by Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR), Toyota’s performance development arm specializing in motorsports and development. The vehicle combines motorsports technology and design to create a truly competitive machine for tarmac, gravel and snow rallies in a compact package.
While regular motorsports cars are built from normal road production vehicles, the GR Yaris was built first as a motorsports vehicle then developed as a road vehicle. The looks of the GR Yaris are not just to draw stares but contribute to its performance. The GR Yaris was made to be light and durable while complementing the model’s sleek, sporty appearance. It makes use of lightweight yet rigid components like a carbon fiber roof and 18-inch BBS forged alloy wheels.
The push for performance is evident in its powertrain. The GR Yaris is powered by a G16E-GTS three-cylinder inline DOHC engine with a four-valve roller rocker, and is hailed as the “world’s best” inline three. It’s coupled with a unique GR-Four four-wheel drive system to give it traction in a variety of conditions. The vehicle only comes with a six-speed manual transmission. In addition, the Philippine-spec GR Yaris comes with the High Performance/Circuit Package as standard.
Yet Pinoy buyers aren’t getting a pure racecar. The GR Yaris was designed to be street legal and boasts of features like three-tier LED headlamps accentuated by daytime running lights. It gets LED rear combination lamps matching the strong front profile.
Experiencing exhilaration is easy with Smart Entry and a Push Start System. The driver gets suede and synthetic leather seats in the cabin. It comes with multiple drive modes like Normal, Sport, and Track. Its audio system also features Apple Carplay and Android Auto compatibility.
With the high performance comes the utmost need for safety. The GR Yaris is equipped with Toyota Safety Sense features (Pre-Collision System, Automatic High Beam, Lane Trace Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control) which aids the driver in identifying and eliminating factors that may cause accidents. A standard for Toyota vehicles, the GR Yaris also comes with six SRS airbags, Anti-lock Brake System, Vehicle Stability Control, and Hill-start Assist Control. Its Front and Rear Torsen Limited Slip Differential provides increased traction and improved stability for the vehicle.
The GR Yaris retails for P2.65-million for the 1.6L Turbo MT variant. It’s available in three colors: Super White II,Emotional Red, and Precious Black. It will be available in Toyota’s 16 GR Performance dealers nationwide starting August 14, 2021.
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