Toyota South Africa Motors says the new GR Yaris will be positioned as a “brand builder” for the Gazoo Racing division locally, with a limited number of units set to be brought in.
Leon Theron, senior-vice president of sales and marketing at Toyota SA Motors, told local media the all-paw hot hatch would be “low volume”.
“Really, really exciting. Of course, it’ll be low volume, but it’s going to be a real ‘brand builder’ for us in the market,” he said during the recent State of the Motor Industry 2021 address.
Late in 2020, Toyota SA Motors confirmed plans to launch the new GR Yaris towards the middle of 2021.
Interestingly, that earlier statement listed the hot hatch’s peak outputs as 200 kW and 370 N.m, perhaps suggesting the local market will receive the full-fat engine tune (unlike Europe, where the GR Yaris makes 192 kW and 360 N.m).
As a reminder, the turbocharged 1,6-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine drives all four wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, with the zero to 100 km/h time listed as 5,2 seconds and the top speed as 230 km/h. The roof is fashioned from carbon-fibre roof while the bonnet, doors and tailgate and made from aluminium.
Braking is taken care of by 356 mm two-piece ventilated discs with four-piston callipers up front and 297 mm ventilated discs and two-piston callipers at the rear.
Toyota SA Motors says “detailed specifications, pricing and model line-up information” will be released closer to the arrival of the GR Yaris.
