Toyota's performance division eyes hot SUV

The Toyota Gazoo Racing division currently offers only hot hatches and coupes, but an SUV could join its ranks.

The tuning and motorsport division’s president, Tomoya Takahashi, has signalled his intent to build a GR-branded SUV in the coming years.

Toyota Gazoo Racing currently sells performance-focused versions of the Yaris and Corolla in Australia, as well as the GR86 and GR Supra sports cars.

But it has never offered an SUV, though Toyota does sell mildly enhanced GR Sport versions of the LandCruiser 300, Yaris Cross, and C-HR.

Speaking to Australian media, Takahashi-san expressed his interest in building a fully fledged GR SUV.

“In the future, from my point of view we need a GR SUV,” Takahashi-san said.

“Some people can only use SUVs because they have a family or need space.

“To expand our brand, maybe an SUV is needed.”

Toyota has plenty of models to choose from when it comes to creating a Gazoo Racing SUV – the C-HR, Yaris Cross, Corolla Cross, RAV4, Kluger, Fortuner, LandCruiser, LandCruiser Prado, and electric bZ4X are all sold in Australia.

Rival manufacturers already sell cars of a similar vein.

Hyundai’s N division has the Ioniq 5 N and has previously offered the Kona N, while Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi all produce SUVs under their respective performance sub-brands.

While Takahashi-san is keen to enter the market, he also acknowledged that Gazoo Racing has limited capacity to develop new products.

“The GR company only has limited resources, so we need to prioritise,” he said.

Until then, buyers will have to settle for GR Sport variants of the LandCruiser, Yaris Cross and C-HR, which come with interior and exterior aesthetic upgrades, GR-tuned suspension, and GR-branded brake callipers.