There’s no doubt that the Toyota GR Yaris is an impressive car but in Australia, early customers had no choice but to miss on some features that became available later.
You see, Toyota Australia sells the GR Yaris in two forms, the standard model and the flagship Rallye. Initially, the standard model was the only one on sale. It also happened to be the version that we drove earlier in the year. It’s an impressive car but as it lacks the front and rear limited-slip differentials and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires of the Rallye, we weren’t blown away by its handling credentials.
Driven: 2021 Toyota GR Yaris Is A Great Hot Hatch, But We Do Have Some Gripes
Recently, the first examples of the Rallye touched down on Aussie shores and local publication MOTOR decided to line it up against the standard model to see how it compares.
In addition to featuring two LSDs and the aforementioned Michelins in favor of the lackluster Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tires of the standard model, the Rallye has a stiffer suspension and 18-inch forged alloy wheels. No changes have been made to the 268 HP 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine.
Over the course of a lap at the 15-turn Bryant Park circuit, the GR Yaris Rallye immediately proved to be the better performer of the two. Thanks to the extra grip, drivers can hustle the hot hatch through corners much faster than the standard car. The GR Yaris Rallye finished the day with a best lap of 1:01.8, a massive 3.4 seconds faster than the best lap set in the standard model.