New 2024 Toyota GR Yaris vs Toyota GR Corolla — SPEC BATTLE!

Toyota has treated the GR Yaris to a heavy update with more power, a sharper chassis and an optional auto. Is it now the pick over the bigger GR Corolla?

JUMP AHEAD

• Power & performance
• Ride & handling
• Interior design & space
• Value
• Verdict
• Specifications

If you felt your pulse quicken slightly at the news that Toyota is building an updated version of the GR Yaris, trust us, you aren’t alone.

The rally-bred Yaris has been one of our favourite hot hatches since it launched back in 2020, so the prospect of a facelifted model with more power, a sharper chassis and the addition of an optional eight-speed automatic is quite enticing.

You can read all of the nerdy details around what’s changed for the 2024 GR Yaris here but the upshot is this is no ordinary facelift.

There’s more power, of course, thanks to meaningful increases to both power and torque (+24kW/30Nm) that take total outputs to a Honda Civic Type R-rivalling 224kW/400Nm. The 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine benefits from a host of internal changes, too, like new, lightweight pistons, a revised valve train and an increase in fuel pressure.

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And then there’s the addition of a freshly developed eight-speed torque converter auto that won’t only broaden the GR Yaris’s appeal (and resulting sales volumes) but includes a manual-control function that shifts the right way: forwards for downshifts and backwards for upshifts.

Think automatics in performance cars are lame? Toyota says the auto isn’t only quicker to 100km/h but is also faster around a circuit when compared with the pre-facelift manual car.

The chassis has copped some heavy revisions as well, including a stiffer body, revised spring and damper rates and new mounting points for the suspension.

Perhaps the biggest change, however, is the new cabin which features an all new (and controversial) dash design, improved ergonomics and a seating position that’s 25mm lower.

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It’s all good stuff and crucially Toyota says many of the changes are a direct result of feedback from customers and car reviewers. A car company that actually listens to criticism? Notch that up as a win.

In fact, the changes sound so promising that the updated GR Yaris is now an even more tantalising alternative to its bigger brother, the GR Corolla.

So if you’re in the market for a Toyota hot hatch in 2024 which way should you jump: the faster and more powerful GR Yaris Rallye or the bigger and roomier GR Corolla GTS? Let’s see how they stack-up for performance, cabin space and value.

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POWER & PERFORMANCE

Before we dive into their differences, let’s address what these two cars have in common because there’s significant crossover. Both are all-wheel drive, for example, and they both share the same gutsy 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo engine, codenamed G16E-GTS. They also use the same torque-splitting all-wheel-drive hardware, which can send up to 70 percent of the available torque to the rear axle.

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It’s the updated GR Yaris that holds the outright performance advantage, however. With 224kW and 400Nm on tap, the facelifted Yaris outguns the GR Corolla GTS by 3kW/30Nm. The Yaris is also smaller and lighter, which gives it the upper hand when it comes to the all-important power-to-weight ratio.

With an official kerb weight of 1280kg for the manual, the GR Yaris is a whopping 205kg lighter than the GR Corolla, which carries a kerb weight figure of 1485kg. Opting for the automatic version of the Yaris brings a 20kg penalty but it’s still a much lighter car than the manual-only GR Corolla.

Being lighter and more powerful should also give the 2024 GR Yaris a useful advantage in straight-line performance. Toyota is yet to release official 0-100km/h figures for the facelifted car, however we can make some educated guesses.

The existing GR Yaris has a 0-100km/h claim of 5.2 seconds, which is fractionally quicker than the GR Corolla’s 5.29sec official claim. Logic dictates the updated GR Yaris will be quicker again — could a figure in the high 4.0sec bracket be possible?

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For reference CarWow recently compared the pre-facelifted GR Yaris against the new version and found the updated car to be substantially quicker. In CarWow’s hands, the pre-facelift GR Yaris hit 0-100km/h in 6.3sec, while the new car managed 5.7sec for the six-speed manual and 5.4sec for the eight-speed automatic.

Our testing of the pre-facelift Yaris saw us hit 0-100km/h in 5.2sec, so you can expect the new car to better that time and possibly dip into the fours.

RIDE & HANDLING

It’s trickier to split the GR Yaris and GR Corolla when it comes to outright dynamics and driver involvement. Both cars offer precise, well-weighted steering, superb brakes and a handling balance that’s fun and adjustable, especially in Sport mode which splits the torque 30:70 front-to-rear.

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They do have distinct personalities, however. The GR Corolla is bigger and rolls on a longer wheelbase which makes it feel more stable and confidence inspiring on the limit. It also has a lower driving position than the pre-facelift GR Yaris which locates the driver in a more familiar position and aids with outward visibility.

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By contrast, the GR Yaris has always been trickier to operate thanks to a seating position that was way too high and outward visibility that was overly compromised. Yet it was also more exciting on the limit thanks to its shorter, more ‘four square’ wheelbase and greater throttle adjustability.

As for which was ‘better’? There really wasn’t a winner between the two; just different flavours.

That could change with the facelifted GR Yaris, however. It now boasts a seating position that’s 25mm lower than before, which should go a long way to addressing our chief criticism of the original car. Toyota has also worked to improve outward visibility by lowering the height of the centre touchscreen by 50mm and changing the position of the rear-view mirror.

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Structural rigidity is also improved and the spring rates for the suspension (MacPherson struts up front, double A-arms out back) have been tweaked, meaning the facelifted GR Yaris should feel more direct and engaging to drive hard than before.

And like the GR Corolla, the GR Yaris can now adjust its drive modes separately to the torque split for the all-wheel-drive system. So you can have the torque split set toTrack, for example, but have the engine, steering and throttle response in Sport.

We won't know for sure which of this pair has the dynamic upper hand until we test them back-to-back, of course, but the on-paper changes are encouraging for the new Yaris.

INTERIOR DESIGN & SPACE

For all its strengths, the cabin of the original GR Yaris was a bit of a letdown. The seating position was too high, the ergonomics were awful, it was difficult to heel-and-toe in, and it was difficult to see out of.

The new car promises to be a huge improvement. The dash design is all new and while its chunky design has proven to be polarising online, it’s clear it will be a much easier car to use.

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Most of the key buttons are now closer to the driver, meaning they’re easier to reach while strapped in at a track day, and visibility is much improved thanks to the lower centre screen and relocated rear-view mirror. Connectivity has been improved, too, courtesy of USB-C outlets than replace the old car’s USB-A ports and a new digital driver display.

Despite the Yaris’s improvements, however, this is one area where the GR Corolla holds an indisputable advantage. It’s a larger car, so the cabin feels roomier and unlike the Yaris, the GR Corolla pretty much nailed its interior ergonomics the first time round. The driving position is bang on, outward visibility is decent and all of the key touchpoints are trimmed in leather.

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And unlike the backseat in the GR Yaris, which only has seats for two adults and is short on head-room and knee-room, the GR Corolla can carry five in relative comfort. The Corolla’s boot is also much larger at 213L versus the Yaris’s 141L, although both are disappointingly small.

IS THE GR YARIS OR GR COROLLA BETTER VALUE?

Toyota is yet to announce pricing for the 2024 GR Yaris, however it should be less than the current asking price of the GR Corolla when it arrives in Australia towards the end of the year.

The current, pre-facelift GR Yaris costs $61,189 drive-away while the GR Corolla carries drive-away pricing of $69,379.

It’d be fair to assume the 2024 GR Yaris will sit in the middle of those two prices, suggesting a starting price around the $65K drive-away mark.

VERDICT

There’s always been an easy way to decide between the GR Yaris and GR Corolla: if we need a usable backseat and a bigger boot, opt for the Corolla. That logic still applies, however there’s a new convenience feature that could swing things back in favour of the Yaris: it’s now available as an automatic.

The GR Corolla is only offered with a six-speed manual, so if you or your significant other prefer the ease of an automatic — especially in the grind of daily traffic — that could seal the deal. It’s likely Toyota will soon introduce many of the Yaris’s updates in the GR Corolla come facelift time, but for now, it’s a key way to distinguish between this pair.

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As for which wins when it comes to outright performance, we’d wager the facelifted Yaris currently has its nose in front. It has a stronger engine, a better power-to-weight ratio, is quicker in a straight line and promises sharper dynamics thanks to its stiffer body and revised suspension.

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Of course, a definitive verdict on whether the GR Yaris can deliver on its on-paper promise remains to be seen. We can't wait to drive this pair back-to-back later this year.