The Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa website has confirmed that the new GR Yaris will indeed be ‘launching soon’ in South Africa!

The news that Toyota will be introducing the new Gazoo Racing (GR) Yaris in South Africa should get Toyota fans very excited!

Toyota has confirmed that the pocket-sized powerhouse will go on sale locally in mid-2021 with specifications and pricing to be revealed closer to the launch.

You may recall that the previous Yaris GRMN did not go on sale in South Africa and only 3 units were used locally for marketing purposes. The good news is that this situation would not be the case for the GR Yaris and it will go on sale to the public but we suspect that it will be offered in limited numbers.

The Yaris GRMN was a potent little firecracker and the new Yaris GR looks to take that fun-to-drive recipe to the next level.

Drawing on Toyota Gazoo Racing’s rally heritage, the GR Yaris packs a punch with a 3-cylinder, 1.6-litre turbocharged engine that offers up 192 kW and 360 Nm but there is also said to be ahigh-power version that offers 200 kW and 370 Nm. It has yet to be confirmed which variant the South African market will get but the TGRSA website currently shows that the 200 kW GR Yaris is destined for South Africa and we hope that is indeed the case.

Unlike the front-wheel-drive Yaris GRMN, the new GR Yaris features an all-wheel-drive system that can split power between the front and rear axle depending on the situation via modes such as Normal (60:40), Sport (30:70) and Track (50:50). An optional Circuit Pack, which comprises a Torsen limited-slip differential on both the front and rear axle, performance-tuned suspension and 18-inch forged alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4s 225/40R18 tyres are also offered for the GR Yaris.

The GR Yaris employs the service of a 6-speed manual transmission and acceleration from zero to 100 kph is claimed at sub 5.5 seconds and the hot hatch will dash to a top speed of 230 kph.

Local pricing has yet to be announced but we will surely keep you updated as soon as more details come to the fore.

For now, you can read our review from the international launch.

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