Toyota Planning Something Like GR Yaris for North America

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Drivers in North America have urged Toyota to export the 268-horsepower GR Yaris pretty much since the day it was announced. There’s even a Change.org petition to get the European variant shipped to Canada. Still, it always seemed like an impossible dream. An ultra-powerful subcompact doesn’t have mass appeal here and the model isn’t actually the same car as the one sold in Japan.

However, Toyota may not leave North American consumers empty handed. The automaker has heard the Western wailing and is working on a plan to appease the market. While the GR Yaris may be a bridge too far, something akin to the hot hatch is reportedly in development to cover for its absence.

According to Car and Driver, Toyota’s executive vice president of sales, Bob Carter, told reporters the automaker had “an answer” for the GR Yaris on Thursday — one that would make it North America.

Carter didn’t say what that answer would be, but the logical choice has to ride on the TNGA platform and be roughly the same size as the Yaris. That really only leaves the Corolla hatchback and C-HR as potential candidates, with the former being the preferred choice by any sensible enthusiast. Both should be able to accept the GR Yaris’ 1.6-liter inline three-cylinder and six-speed manual.

Assuming the planned vehicle also adopts the Yaris’ all-wheel drive and limited-slip differentials, and you’ve got something that might even make WRX faithful look twice. Like us, Car and Driver is banking on the Corolla being the better option. It’s easier on the eyes, more refined than the C-HR, and putting in an exciting powertrain solves its biggest problem — that it’s not terribly fun to drive, despite looking like it would be.

[Images: Toyota]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • JimZ JimZ on Feb 14, 2020

    They'll sell dozens. Dozens, I tell you! because the people who are clamoring for a GR Yaris don't/can't buy a new car.

    • See 5 previous
    • Superdessucke Superdessucke on Feb 17, 2020

      Well, after coming around to the sad, difficult but inevitable realization that a Charger Scat Pack Widebody ain't gonna work as a daily for me, I'm looking at replacing my 2015 6-speed Accord with a Veloster N - or a MK8 GTI or new WRX if I want to wait until fall. If Toyota offers a hot version of the Corolla hatch, I'll seriously consider that too. I like the looks, just needs more spice. ** Agree generally that "enthusiasts" talk a big game prior to settling on their Rogues and RAV-4s though. Just saying what my weird a-- is doing. I'm sure the automakers are not tripping all over each other to secure the 6-speed Accord owners' business, LOL! But I am out here.

  • Oberkanone Oberkanone on Feb 14, 2020

    Corolla hatch is 200 plus pounds heavier and oversized. Everyone else gets ribeye and we get hamburger steak. No thanks.

    • See 1 previous
    • Art Vandelay Art Vandelay on Feb 15, 2020

      So if you want a "hot hatch" smaller than the default choices (GTI), then you are limited to the leftover 2019 Fiesta STs still on sale or one of the hot Minis.

  • CanadaCraig You can just imagine how quickly the tires are going to wear out on a 5,800 lbs AWD 2024 Dodge Charger.
  • Luke42 I tried FSD for a month in December 2022 on my Model Y and wasn’t impressed.The building-blocks were amazing but sum of the all of those amazing parts was about as useful as Honda Sensing in terms of reducing the driver’s workload.I have a list of fixes I need to see in Autopilot before I blow another $200 renting FSD. But I will try it for free for a month.I would love it if FSD v12 lived up to the hype and my mind were changed. But I have no reason to believe I might be wrong at this point, based on the reviews I’ve read so far. [shrug]. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about it once I get to test it.
  • FormerFF We bought three new and one used car last year, so we won't be visiting any showrooms this year unless a meteor hits one of them. Sorry to hear that Mini has terminated the manual transmission, a Mini could be a fun car to drive with a stick.It appears that 2025 is going to see a significant decrease in the number of models that can be had with a stick. The used car we bought is a Mk 7 GTI with a six speed manual, and my younger daughter and I are enjoying it quite a lot. We'll be hanging on to it for many years.
  • Oberkanone Where is the value here? Magna is assembling the vehicles. The IP is not novel. Just buy the IP at bankruptcy stage for next to nothing.
  • Jalop1991 what, no Turbo trim?
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