The 2017 Geneva Motor Show will be the stage on which the first ‘performance’ Toyota Yaris since the first-generation ‘T Sport’ model will make it’s debut. It’s called the Yaris GRMN and, I have to admit, it looks as though it’s going to be pretty good.
It has been developed by GAZOO Racing Masters of Nurburgring, hence ‘GRMN’, and there are no prizes for guessing where it was developed. The Yaris’ 1.8-litre supercharged (rather than turbocharged) engine is said to produce 205bhp. This puts it miles above rivals such as the Ford Fiesta ST (179bhp) and very close to the likes of the Peugeot 208 GTI (208bhp). It will also compete with another WRC-inspired car, the Hyundai i20 N Performance, which debuted at the Paris Motor Show.
In terms of appearance, the Yaris GRMN has taken a lot of inspiration from the WRC car. Deep front and rear splitters, a rear spoiler and sporty alloy wheels are all present and all look rather good. The rear end of the car is definitely the best looking section with the significantly larger rear light clusters. You’ll also notice the (presumably optional) black and red graphics.
It is expected to spearhead a new approach for Toyota’s GAZOO department which is aiming to ‘speed up development of the mass-production sporty vehicles’ meaning the Japanese firm could be the one to watch in the not-so-distant future.
It’ll line up alongside all of the Toyota GAZOO racing cars competing this year at the Geneva Motor Show. What do you think of the new Yaris? Let us know in the comments section below or via our Facebook and Twitter pages.
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