Updated Toyota GR Yaris Will Have 300bhp And An Auto 'Box

While the Toyota GR Yaris makes 268bhp from its 1.6-litre inline-three turbo engine, the GR Corolla makes 295bhp from the same unit. But this outrageous unfairness will soon be at an end - according to the Japanese publication Best Car, an updated version of the hot Yaris will get the same output as its big bro.

Not only that, but it’ll also get the option of an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The only auto version of the car we’ve seen so far is the JDM-only GR Yaris RC, which has the same three-door body as the ‘proper’ car but is powered by a CVT-equipped 1.5 producing all of 118bhp.

Before you panic, from the sounds of it the new auto ‘box will be offered alongside the six-speed manual. Phew. It’ll also include paddle shifters, not that this will come as a surprise at all.

Alongside the extra power and the added gearbox choice, the GR Yaris will also receive some exterior tweaks, mostly focused on the front bumper - much of the car will remain the same in terms of styling. There’ll also be one model with a larger rear spoiler, Best Car reports.

The inside will remain mostly the same, but the existing part-physical instrument cluster will be swapped out for the same customisable, all-digital setup found in the GR Corolla. A shame, as real dials are a bit of a rarity in performance cars these days.

The suspension and brakes will be in for a fettling, and extra reinforcements to the car’s bespoke three-door bodyshell are set to improve rigidity.

Along with all these improvements, the price in Japan is expected to rise, and we suspect this will be mirrored in the UK. Toyota GB has no problem flogging them at the current rate - at the time of writing it had stopped taking orders due to “unprecedented demand”.