Toyota has revealed the Yaris GR Sport, a new version of the Japanese city car inspired by the limited GRMN hot hatch and the first member of the new GR Sport family to be launched in Europe.
You could mistake the new Yaris GR Sport as the warm hatch of the range but Toyota describes it instead as a new grade to the range, albeit one that adds a lot of goodies.
These include a series of enhancements on the suspension in order to give the Yaris “engaging handling and responsiveness”. Toyota has added Sachs Performance dampers, similar to those fitted in the Yaris GRMN, as well as a solid anti-roll bar, instead of a hollow one, for extra rigidity.
Compared to the standard Yaris, the new GR Sport sits 11mm closer to the ground, with Toyota pointing out that the gap between the wheel and the body has been reduced by 18mm. A set of 17-inch black alloy wheels are exclusive to the model and come fitted with the same Bridgestone Potenza RE50s you would find in the Yaris GRMN.
The exterior has been updated with a black roof, a rear spoiler, piano-black door moldings, a black honeycomb grille with matching door mirror housings and front fog lamp surrounds. The headlights are also darkened, as is the rear glasshouse. Red decals are offered as an option.
Inside, the new Toyota Yaris GR Sport features GR-branded sports seats finished in Ultrasuede with contrast white stitching and white inserts. The three-spoke steering wheel is smaller in diameter and comes straight from the GT86 Coupe.
By now you probably wonder what’s hiding under the bonnet; Toyota will offer the new Yaris GR Sport only in conjunction with the hybrid 1.5-liter powertrain, meaning a combined output of 99hp and a CVT gearbox.
New Y20 Model Celebrates 20 Years Of The Yaris
In addition, Toyota also announced the new Yaris Y20, a new special grade designed to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the best-selling city car. Toyota will offer a limited run of 1,998 Launch Edition Y20 units -as a nod to the year the original Yaris came out- featuring gold paintwork and a dark grey roof.
These will be followed by regular production Yaris Y20 models that will be available through the 2019 model year. These will come with a two-tone bodywork featuring silver, white or black body colors with a dark grey roof.
Other features of the new Yaris Y20 include a set of 16-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, grey side mouldings with matching front grille, door mirrors and fog light surrounds. A new chequer-pattern fabric upholstery, along with satin chrome air vents, speakers and gear knob trim are just some of the Y20’s special features.
Toyota brought the new Yaris GR Sport and Yaris Y20 to the Paris Auto Show for their official public debut.
Article updated with live imagery from the Paris Auto Show