You may have forgotten that there are in fact two generations of Toyota’s performance Yaris, although the two are rather different. The first was the Yaris GRMN which boasted a supercharged 1,8-litre four-cylinder engine which powered the front wheels. The current generation is the Toyota GR Yaris which uses a 1,6-litre turbo-triple to power all four paws. Both use six-speed manual gearboxes.
Both cars are exclusive products for the Japanese manufacturer. Only 400 of the Yaris GRMNs were produced, none of which were sold in SA. It has been confirmed that the GR Yaris will be made available to our local market but pricing has not yet been confirmed.
Naturally, we’re keen on knowing what the improvement in performance is over these two rather special supermini hot hatches. CarWow’s latest video gives us just that with a good old fashioned drag race.
On paper, the older Yaris GRMN still holds up with its power output of 156 kW and 249 N.m of torque. With an kerbweight of 1 135, the Japanese manufacturer claims it’ll accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 6,3 seconds.
Despite having a smaller engine, the newer model is a bit more serious. This one pushes 200 kW and 360 N.m to all for wheels, granting it a 0-100 km/h time of 5,2 seconds; a significant improvement over the last model. The GR Yaris though, is 145 kg heavier.
Both cars get a clean start off the line but the difference in performance is seen right from the get-go. Thanks to its more powerful engine and grippy all-wheel drive system the GR Yaris bolts off the line, thus creating immediate gap from its forbearer.
Interestingly, as the race continues, the gap between the two cars lessens as the Yaris GRMN reels its successor in. However, this isn’t enough to claim it the win. The GR Yaris crossed the line in 13,6 seconds while the GRMN, 14,7 seconds.
Watch the video above to see the rolling race, brake test and sound comparison.