The GR Yaris is just the beginning: Toyota plots fire-breathing GRMN version

Yes, the GR Yaris will steal the spotlight for the time being, given it’s Toyota’s first attempt at a hot hatch in years, but the brand is already hinting at a harder, faster GRMN version in the works.

And that’s saying something, given what we know about the GR version.

It’s turbocharged, 1.6-litre, three-cylinder engine produces “more than” 185kW and 350Nm.And that’s a lot of grunt. The new Fiesta ST, for example, is good for 147kW and 290Nm, meaning the tiny Yaris is actually closer in outputs to cars like the Golf GTI, which makes 180kW and 370Nm.

But in exciting news for performance fans, the hard-charging GR could be just the beginning.

We know already that Toyota’s performance blueprint will include a three-tier performance range that could encompass everything from the Corolla to the HiLux ute.

The idea is to offer three distinct levels of sportiness. The GR Sport-badged cars are restricted to cosmetic upgrades, the GR cars will offer more performance than their regular counterparts, and the GRMN badge will be reserved for the brand’s most hotted-up models.

Which means, given the GR Yaris has just launched, a harder, faster GRMN version could be around the corner, with the project currently “under consideration”.

“In the future maybe we can do this. It’s under consideration,” says GR Yaris chief engineer Naohiko Saito.