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The Toyota GR Yaris hot hatch is set to gain the option of an automatic transmission early next year, according to a new report – alongside a power boost and a revised look.
The long-awaited option of an automatic transmission for the Toyota GR Yaris hot hatch may be less than six months away, according to a new report out of Japan.
Respected Japanese magazine Best Car reports a facelift for the GR Yaris is due to be announced by Toyota imminently ahead of a start to production in January 2024, and first deliveries in Japan early next year.
The update – which may be named ‘Evolution II’ – is reportedly set to bring a power boost from 200kW/370Nm today, to 221kW/370Nm to match the larger GR Corolla hot hatch introduced last year.
And for the first time it is tipped to be available with the option of an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, in place of the standard six-speed manual offered since launch three years ago.
It is a conventional torque-converter transmission – rather than a typically quick-shifting dual-clutch automatic – but it is being developed with a focus on speed, rather than just convenience.
According to Best Car, the facelift is planned to introduce mild exterior changes – including a revised front fascia, and a larger rear spoiler on some models – as well as a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster from the GR Corolla, replacing the current analogue dials.
The magazine says the “suspension and brakes have also been further improved”, and that body rigidity has been improved.
It predicts a price rise from the 3.96 to 4.56 million yen ($AU41,000 to $AU48,000) of the current model – which is not available to order in Japan – to a price “likely to approach” 5 million yen ($AU52,000).
Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.
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