The facelift of Toyota’s rally-inspired hot hatch, the Toyota GR Yaris, is here, and it’s brought along several changes, most notably, a new eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Another striking change is the redesigned front bumper, featuring larger air intakes and separable trim on the sides. This motorsport-derived feature allows for easier replacement or repair of damaged sections without requiring a complete bumper replacement.
Inside, the dashboard layout is also revised to a more driver-focused layout. This is where things get controversial, with some saying the redesigned dashboard looks those of a truck. As they say, design is subjective, and I personally like the new design, as it makes it unique compared to its non-GR counterpart.
On the performance side of things, the spicy 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine still makes 300 hp, but torque is bumped to 400 Nm from 370 Nm. Power is sent to all four wheels via the GR-Four all-wheel-drive system, just like its rally-bred sibling.
RELATED: 2025 Facelift Toyota GR Yaris launched in Malaysia from RM316k
For those waiting eagerly for the new eight-speed automatic introduced in the facelift, you’ll have to wait a bit longer before it is launched locally. This could possibly be due to UMW Toyota unable to secure allocations for the automatic variant due to high demand globally.
But on the bright side, the six-speed manual is available, priced at RM315,600 on-the-road before insurance. The question is, will you get this or its bigger sibling, the Toyota GR Corolla facelift?
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