Believe the hype - the Toyota GR Yaris is a brilliant little car. That is exists at all is a borderline miracle, because multinational car manufacturers are more cautious now than ever before and maverick vehicles like this, with its bespoke bodyshell and four-wheel drive system, have become vanishingly rare. Although it's a pity it now won't spawn Toyota's next World Rally Championship contender (because of coronavirus, the Japanese marque will use the same machine that won the 2020 drivers' title for 2021 before all-new regulations come into force the following year).
Nonetheless, the GR Yaris still carries itself with the assuredness of a full-blown homologation special. You can tell from the spread of its wheel arches and that gaping front air intake that this is no ordinary hatchback. Indeed, no ordinary performance hatchback. However, even the most eagerly anticipated and warmly received new cars must prove themselves against the established order, and the trouble for Toyota at this juncture is that the established order is phenomenally talented in its own right. For top-spec GR Yaris money you could have a Honda Civic Type R, which rewards those of us benevolent enough to overlook its rowdy exterior styling with what could well be the best front-wheel drive chassis on sale today.
Or maybe that honour belongs to the Ford Fiesta ST. A similar size to the Toyota but down on power by around 60hp, the Ford starts at a shade under £22,000 in ST-2 trim. It therefore undercuts the entry-level GR Yaris by £8,000. But we're not concerning ourselves with basic or entry-level models this time around - we've gone for the heavy hitters. That means the limited-run Fiesta ST Edition, which costs £27,075, and the GR Yaris Circuit Pack, which is more expensive by £6,500.
On paper the Toyota would appear to have the Ford well and truly licked. Both use turbocharged three-cylinders, the former's good for 261hp and 266lb ft of torque, the latter's making do with 200hp and 214lb ft. The GR Yaris distributes its power and torque to all four wheels, the Fiesta ST sending drive only to its front axle. Both boast chassis and powertrain upgrades not available on more basic variants - the GR Yaris Circuit Pack has uprated brakes, its own suspension settings and a Torsen LSD at each end, while the Fiesta ST Edition features manually-adjustable coilover suspension and an LSD.
As far as compact hot hatches go, these really are the heavyweights. Inevitably the Toyota is so much faster in a straight line that you almost pity the Ford, which requires 6.5 seconds to clock 62mph compared to 5.5 seconds for the GR Yaris. Curiously, though, the less powerful Fiesta ST will eventually leave the GR Yaris in its dust given enough space, since it will top out at a sprightly 144mph while the Toyota wheezes along at 143.
Both have supportive seats and decent driving positions, though the Ford puts you closer to the road. It also offers a little more room for rear seat passengers and a slightly bigger boot, although the Toyota's cabin is more interesting with its endless flowing forms, as though it was penned by the late Zaha Hadid. Its rear-view mirror is right in your face, though, like a drunk at a party. I guess that's because of the car's very low roofline. It means you duck your head down to look beyond it in tight left-handers.
I didn't get to drive this Circuit Pack car back-to-back with the Convenience Pack model, but I'm convinced it has a tougher, less supple ride. It feels quite firm around town, though it does level out beautifully with speed. Meanwhile, you're aware of the pair of LSDs seeming to screw the car down into the tarmac when you power away from a bend, clawing more traction and sharper drive out of a wet surface. Against a stopwatch it'll unquestionably be quicker, but I'm not yet persuaded the Circuit Pack car is actually more fun on the road.
So, what's it actually like to drive? It has that sense of purpose of a true motorsport-derived performance car, feeling uncompromising and tough. It finds tremendous grip and, of course, more or less unimpeachable traction even on a wet surface. There is plenty of weight to the steering, but also precision and detail. You know exactly how hard the front axle will bite and use every ounce of turn-in grip corner after corner.
Body control is boundless, but the chassis deals with poor asphalt admirably. There is a sense of poise and balance, of adjustability. With all that grip, control, agility and response, the GR Yaris is frighteningly quick along a road. It's little three-pot pulls furiously as well, feeling far stronger than the numbers suggest. The engine rips around to the limiter, while the manual gearshift is quick and tight. The auto-blip system, which you can banish at the press of a button, is, however, one of the least effective I've come across, because downshifts are often abrupt and jerky.
There is almost nothing to criticise about the way the Toyota finds its way along a challenging road. Almost. In Sport mode, which directs 70 per cent of the torque to the rear axle, the most rear-biased split available, you just about to start to feel the rear end coming around under power away from a bend, but only if grip is low and the corner both quick-ish and tackled in second gear. Perhaps it's a different matter on track where you have much more space to play with, but in a day's driving on great roads, only two or three times did I find myself sliding away from a bend with a fraction of corrective lock applied.
Does that even matter? Arguably not. But I do wish the GR Yaris was more playful at times and I suspect I won't be the only one. This will sound implausible, but the Fiesta ST is far more impish. Not away from a corner, of course, because with that LSD and only its front wheels powered, the Ford simply hauls itself away from the exit of a bend in the straightest line possible. It's on the way into a corner that the ST feels alive and exciting, its rear end sweeping around as the nose tucks into the apex in the most delicious way.
Twice. That's how many times the Ford made me laugh out loud. The first was when I pulled away from the car park for the first time and felt that eager little triple paddle as hard as it could. The fluttery sound it made and the gentle pressure it applied to the small of my back though the seat were adorable. Compared to the Toyota, the Ford feels like a child's plaything in that regard. So much so I burst out laughing.
It's an altogether sillier and less steely-eyed hot hatch, the Fiesta ST. It doesn't take itself so seriously. It finds far less grip and traction on a wet road surface and is slower point-to-point by a huge amount. But, my goodness, it's fun to drive. It has a joyous sense of flow, from the way it glides over corrugated roads, to the alertness of the steering and the perfectly measured turn-in response, and the way it pivots sharply into a bend with just the right amount of body roll. You begin unwinding the steering lock almost as soon as you've dialled it in, allowing that mobile rear axle to do the work for you.
And then, away from the apex, the front-end bites hard and drags you out crisply and cleanly. It was that very expressive way of rotating into a corner that made me laugh out loud for the second time. In terms of sheer driving fun at sensible road speeds, there arguably isn't another car at any money on sale today that matches the Fiesta ST. I really mean that. This Edition model is ultimately more rewarding, but even the base car is endlessly entertaining to drive.
So why would you spend all that extra money on the GR Yaris? Because you love the rallying connection, perhaps, or because you applaud the very fact it exists. Maybe because you'll use it on circuit, or because you're prepared to drive with so little restraint on the road that you really will feel the benefit of that driven rear axle. But the short answer is this: I wouldn't.
SPECIFICATION | TOYOTA GR YARIS
Engine: 1,618cc, turbocharged 3-cyl
Transmission: six-speed manual, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 261@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 266@3,000-4,600rpm
0-62mph: 5.5 seconds
Top speed: 143mph (electronically limited)
Kerbweight: 1,280-1,310kg (minimum and maximum)
MPG: 34.3
CO2: 186g/km driving
Price: from £29,995 (or £32,175 with the Convenience Pack and £33,495 with the Circuit Pack)
SPECIFICATION | FORD FIESTA ST EDITION
Engine: 1,497cc, turbocharged 3-cyl
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 200@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 214@1,600-4,000rpm
0-62mph: 6.5sec
Top speed: 144mph
Weight: 1,255kg
MPG: 42.8 (WLTP)
CO2: 149g/km (WLTP)
Price: £27,075
Image credit | Harry Rudd
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