2026 Toyota GR Yaris: Rally-bred hot hatch gets more performance parts

Toyota is giving its GR Yaris hot hatch a new sporty steering wheel, revised power steering, and sticky Bridgestone rubber as part of a small update.

58 minutes ago

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Max Davies

Marketplace Journalist

Max Davies

Marketplace Journalist

Toyota has given the GR Yaris a light update, introducing a small selection of parts and tweaks to its rally-bred hot hatch that have been "directly inspired by its motorsport programs" for no extra cost.

Headlining the changes is a new steering wheel as standard across the pint-size three-door hot hatch range. It features a completely new visual identity – seemingly inspired by the GR GT Prototype – with its diameter reduced from 365mm to 360mm and its hand grip shape redesigned to fit "comfortably in the palms when cornering".

The new steering wheel's controls have been given individual buttons in a motorsport-style arrangement and feature ringed illumination for improved legibility, while the centre pad now sports Gazoo Racing's 'GR' logo instead of Toyota's 'Three Oval' emblem.

That detail is likely linked to Toyota's ambition to evolve Gazoo Racing into a standalone brand globally, rather than continuing to position GR as a performance sub-brand as it is currently.

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Remaining tweaks include retuned electric power steering with "an expanded operating range", while the top-spec GR Yaris GTS is now fitted with high-performance Bridgestone Potenza race tyres as standard for increased cornering grip.

This Australian confirmation follows the global reveal of these updates in March 2026, with the tweaked light hatch due to arrive locally in June 2026.

Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations John Pappas said in a press release that these upgrades were more evidence of how the brand's motorsport endeavours influence its GR-branded cars, regardless of how minor the tweaks are.

“When you’re racing, improvements are measured in tenths of seconds and these upgrades to the GR Yaris are designed to deliver the sort of performance enhancements that can make a difference,” he said.

Harry Bates driving a GR Yaris Rally2 at this month's WRC Rally de Portugal

“The learning we gain from motorsport is not just about the cars, it’s also about our people and we were particularly proud to see our own Australian Rally Champion Harry Bates put in a very solid performance at his first ever run in Rally de Portugal in the GR Yaris Rally2."

These updates follow the more major mid-life update applied to the GR Yaris and its larger GR Corolla sibling in early 2025.

Toyota's smallest hot hatch received slight increases in power and torque, a new sub-radiator, an intercooler water sprayer, revised interior and exterior styling and, for the first time, an automatic transmission.

Still available is the optional Aero Performance Pack that was released in late 2025. Exclusive to the GR Yaris GTS, the motorsport-inspired pack adds a front lip spoiler and vents on the bonnet, front guards, and rear guards, plus a manually adjustable roof spoiler, and aerodynamic underfloor components.

There have been no mechanical changes beyond the retuned power steering. The GR Yaris continues to be powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine producing 221kW of power and 400Nm of torque, with drive sent to all four wheels via either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission.

Toyota Australia has confirmed there will be no price changes with the GR Yaris update. That means the range will still start at $55,490 before on-road costs for the manual GT, while the GTS starts at $60,490 before on-roads. The GTS can be optioned with the Aero Performance Pack for an extra $4500.

An even more hardcore GR Yaris has also been revealed overseas – the limited-edition Morizo RR – but it won't be made available in Australia.

2026 Toyota GR Yaris pricing: