Review: Toyota GR Yaris auto

We take the GR Yaris auto on track to see if precision and soul can coexist. Spoiler: it can.

Price

R971 300

Deon van der Walt

Published: January 12, 2026

For

The 3-cyl wails, the all-wheel-drive grips, and the chassis is perfectly composed.

Against

Interior could be better, but you’re not looking at stitch-count when barreling through bends.

What is it?

It’s hard to wrap your head around the how, but the Toyota GR Yaris has a knack for provoking powerful emotions even in the most mild-mannered individuals. On paper, everything points to a sensible hatchback that’s been styled up, spruced up and given a price bump. This? From Toyota? Maker of sensible cars and consumer champion?

At our Speed Week 2021, the manual version rewrote the narrative on how we look at engagement. In fact, it won Speed Week that year. Convincingly. This is a hatchback that initially, few wanted to get into. And then, when driving for any stretch of distance, few wanted to get out of it. The hype pretty much centred around the visceral feel of clutch, yank on the gear lever, nirvana, the Velcro-like mechanical grip and a soundtrack out of corners that’s vaguely reminiscent of a banshee’s wail. It is obnoxious and overly capable. And we loved it for that.

Naturally, some went into a bit of a panic when Toyota announced an auto. Faces pruned up, and heads were shaking. The USP is that manual gearbox. And yet, give it five minutes on a track, and any doubt as to the continued competence of the GR Yaris is promptly extinguished, also helped by the fact that Toyota now offers a manual version of its ‘new’ GR too.

What is it like on the road?

On paper, the transformation of the new GR Yaris was nothing too dramatic. It still calls on the same 3-cyl, 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, but fettled to produce 210kW and 400Nm of torque – an increase of 12kW and 40Nm over the previous model. It now also breathes through 105mm exhaust tips that reduce back pressure by 40%, all while it still has that slightly unhinged 3-pot wail that now crescendos at the whim of that automatic gearbox.

Strapped into the auto, I leave the pits of Aldo Scribante following an overnight soak with the best intentions of keeping things civil, say at around 40% forward tilt. “Have fun, don’t be stupid,” I muttered. Toyota’s hatch wouldn’t have any of that. Temperatures dialled in, Sport mode engaged, I started my flying lap with sensible anchors early into turn one and let the car do the work. It’s egging me on. Mocking me. The Esses are next, 45% brake, use the kerbs, and it’s the stability that catches me off guard. The fast left-hander appropriately named ‘The Kink’ is next.

I let off the right pedal, and the car again just grips. I turn it up the commitment heading to Hangar, and it’s absolute composure thanks to the all-wheel-drive system, on the brakes again for Hairpin, which requires the perfect line. The front end just tucks in. 60% en route to the Bridgestone Sweep. There’s a hint that the rear is alive. It lets you play.

The 8-speed auto grabs the next gear, lunging the car forward with that wail still emanating from the 1.6-litre, 3-cylinder engine. The GR D-AT ‘box doesn’t deliver the sharpest, most dynamic upshifts – even in manual mode – but considering that it’s a torque converter that favours long-term reliability over the marginal gains that come with an intricately delicate dual-clutch system, it’s a small compromise on a car that is still well-versed in engaging its driver. The spirit of the GR Yaris is still alive.

Layout, finish and space

On the inside, the GR Yaris, like Toyota’s wider line-up, doesn’t subscribe to digital bloat. Or, in this case, any form of updated digital real estate, for that matter.

The plastics feel familiar and sensible, with switchgear that’s easy to operate. It’s the furthest thing from flamboyant, but it’s functional, and I almost want to call it utilitarian. The biggest clues here denoting the Yaris GR’s pedigree are the GR badge on the steering wheel, the red stitching on the bucket seats, and, of course, the revs ribbon on what’s now a digital instrument cluster.

You get the distinct sense that Toyota’s creative energy was entirely focused on optimising the driving experience. The seating position, for one, is now lower by 25mm, and that in itself manifests in the driver-to-vehicle connection. Climate controls are still physical buttons, with Toyota resisting the temptation to bury everything under layers of menus. In fact, even the centre infotainment system is barely passable for 2025.

The interior is far from luxurious and not particularly pretty, but it’s honest, which perfectly ties in with the GR Yaris’ character.

Running costs and reliability

If you’re looking to buy, then sadly, there are no bargains here. In 2021, the Toyota GR Yaris launched at R606,600. The sticker price has taken a significant hike since then, and the 8-speed auto model, as tested here, now commands R971,300. Ouch!

But which to choose? Manual or automatic? The auto is less engaging than the manual on the daily work-to-home-to-work sprint, while around the track, the 8-speed auto brings a more precise, almost clinical, but still utterly engaging driving experience. It’s also easier to daily. My money? I’d still go for the manual…

Final thoughts

The Toyota GR Yaris isn’t the fastest, most powerful, or really the most technologically superior performance car in any given area – except extracting 210kW from a 3-cyl – but it perfectly embodies everything we love about hot hatches. It’s raw, chatty, and it absolutely involves.

Purists will naturally still gravitate towards the manual, and rightly so, but around the track, the auto asks you to push harder and to brake later. It’s still very much alive, and in the here-and-now, an era that’s defined by increasingly sanitised performance, that in itself is worth more than any kilowatt count.

In fact, it’s the most fun you can have around a track this side of a bar – whether that’d be in a manual or an auto.