Toyota Mulling a Hot Hatch, But Is the Yaris the Right Choice?

Toyota doesn’t immediately spring to mind when a buyer thinks of driving excitement. Far from it, in fact.

While the brand carries an enviable reputation of reliability, strong resale value and general popularity, it suffers in the performance and youthful appeal department. That could change, with Auto Express reporting that Toyota could build on its return to the World Rally Championship with a production hot hatch.

Volkswagen Golf R, Honda Civic Type R, Ford Focus RS…Toyota Yaris?

Toyota wasn’t always lacking in performance appeal. The 1980s Corolla GT-S and Celicas of various decades looked good and injected a shot of low-cost adrenaline into a staid lineup. True, the brand still has the 86 (formerly the Scion FR-S), but a rear-drive 2+2 with a naturally aspirated four-cylinder carries limited appeal, and sales show it.

A souped-up variant of the oh-so-economical Yaris is the brand’s entry into the WRC, a motorsports competition Toyota sat out for the past 17 years. Stripping off its sensible shoes, the WRC Yaris sports a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder making north of 300 horsepower. That output kicks mountains of sand into the face of the stock Yaris.

In hatchback guise (not the Mazda 2-turned- Yaris iA sedan) the Yaris makes 106 hp and 103 lb-ft of torque from its 1.5-liter four. The model could benefit from some muscle, says Toyota’s European president and CEO.

“It’s no use doing motorsport if you can’t reflect it in your product,” Johan van Zyl told Auto Express. “What you’ll see is that we want to totally integrate it into our offering.

The next-generation Yaris hatch won’t appear for at least another couple of years. Still, the automaker has engines in development — namely a 1.5-liter turbo making about 180 hp — that could one day find a home in the little subcompact. van Zyl spoke for Toyota of Europe, but a hotter Yaris — if built — could help the automaker challenge hot hatch competitors in North America.

Performance-minded compacts and subcompacts are on the upswing. The Hyundai Elantra Sport appears this fall. Hell, even Nissan is getting a foot in the door with its upcoming Sentra SR Turbo. Still, is the Yaris worthy of a hot hatch, or would the model’s name, so long associated with a tepid commuter car, hamper interest?

Toyota’s potential hot hatch competitors enjoy plenty of name recognition and heritage. Perhaps when the next-generation model bows, Toyota should consider a name change.