Toyota knows that its offerings of the spicy Toyota GR Yaris and GR Corolla are well received by petrolheads globally. To share the love for these hot hatches, Toyota has decided that the economical Prius C should be offered with a GR Sport variant. This variant comes with some performance enhancements, catering to those wanting a sportier driving experience without managing 304 hp.
This comes after the marque gave the second-generation Toyota Prius C, which is known as the Toyota Aqua, a facelift in Japan. This update sees the hybrid hatchback sharing a similar front face to the Toyota Prius.
The sporty bits that come with the Prius C GR Sport include a front bumper that is claimed by Toyota to reduce air resistance with a hexagonal mesh pattern. It also features two faux air intakes on the sides, giving an impression that Toyota took the bumper of the GR Yaris and simply photoshopped it into a narrower, pint-sized version.
Towards the side, you’ll find black side skirts. The rear bumper gets a similar treatment to the front, featuring a hexagonal mesh pattern on the lower apron and an air diffuser. Topping off the sporty bits are a set of black Toyota emblems, the obligatory GR Sport emblem, a set of 17-inch aluminium wheels, and brake calipers finished in red.
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Inside, the Toyota Prius C GR Sport features what Toyota calls sporty seats, complete with black upholstery and a GR logo on the headrest. The cabin also gains a gunmetal finish for the interior trims, a three-spoke leather-wrapped GR steering wheel, aluminium pedals, and a key fob with the GR badge.
Mechanically, Toyota has tweaked the Prius C GR Sport to offer a more engaging driving experience. This includes a dedicated underbody brace and a reinforced rear bumper to stiffen the chassis, a tuned suspension setup, and improved steering response if owners select the ‘Power +’ drive mode when they tackle winding mountain roads.
Under the bonnet, the Toyota Prius C GR Sport features a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated three-cylinder engine paired with two electric motors for a combined output of 116 hp, sent to the front wheels via an e-CVT gearbox.
It’s obviously not the 304 hp offered by the feisty 1.6-litre turbocharged three-pot engine in the GR Yaris and Corolla duo. Perhaps the Prius C GR Sport is simply meant to be an economical and fun daily hatchback for owners of the full-fat GR models, especially considering how expensive premium petrol has become nowadays.
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