The cheapest car in any conversation about performance machines in Australia might also be the most respected. As at October 2026 the Toyota GR Yaris starts at $55,490 before on-road costs. It is built in the GR Factory, a dedicated Toyota Gazoo Racing facility inside the Motomachi plant in Japan, the plant that also built the Lexus LFA.
The Brief
The GR Yaris exists because Toyota needed a homologation base for its Yaris WRC and Rally1 cars, not because anyone asked for a $55,000 three-cylinder hot hatch. It is the first Toyota to wear the GR-FOUR badge since the Celica GT-Four retired from World Rally Championship competition in 1999, a car that banked 30 WRC wins and four drivers’ titles across the 1980s and 1990s. The badge carries real history.
What Has Changed
The current GR Yaris runs the larger 1.6 litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine introduced globally in 2024, replacing the original 1.6 litre unit with more power and torque. A smaller running update landed in Australian showrooms in mid-2026, adding a new steering wheel and Potenza Race tyres to the GTS grade, with no change to price or power.
Engine and Performance
The G16E-GTS 1.6 litre turbo triple makes 221kW at 6,500rpm and 400Nm from 3,250 to 4,600rpm, sent through GR-FOUR permanent all-wheel drive with three selectable torque splits: Normal at 60:40 front to rear, Gravel at 53:47, and a variable Track mode. A 6 speed manual or 8 speed automatic are both available on GT and GTS grades. Independently reported figures put 0 to 100km/h at around 5.1 seconds, quick enough to embarrass cars costing several times as much.
Australian Pricing
The GT starts at $55,490 manual or $57,990 automatic before on-road costs. The GTS starts at $60,490 manual or $62,990 automatic, and the GTS Aero Performance Package runs $64,990 to $67,490. Carsales pricing data shows the GT landing around $60,000 to $65,000 drive-away depending on state and transmission, with GTS Automatic examples seen at close to $69,000 drive-away.
The Case for the Cheap Seat
Most performance cars are measured in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The GR Yaris is measured in the tens. For the price of options on a supercar, a buyer gets sub-5.2 second all-wheel-drive acceleration, genuine motorsport pedigree, and a car built with the same obsessive attention as Toyota’s most expensive halo products. It is not trying to be a supercar. It does not need to be.
Running Costs
This is where the GR Yaris makes its strongest case. Toyota services it through its dealer network. The all-wheel-drive system and turbo triple are mechanically straightforward by hot-hatch standards, and parts availability through Toyota’s dealer network is excellent nationwide. Tyres are the one area where the GR Yaris asks more of an owner: the standard Dunlop SP Sport Maxx or optional Potenza Race rubber wears faster under hard use, with a full set running $1,200 to $1,800. Insurance varies a lot with your age and postcode, so get a quote before you buy.
The Rally Connection, In Practice
The GR-FOUR name and the WRC homologation backstory would mean little if the car didn’t actually drive like it inherited something. The variable torque split is what sets the car apart: Toyota’s GR-FOUR system lets the driver choose between the Normal, Gravel and Track settings above, a direct legacy of the all-wheel-drive rally cars this platform exists to homologate.
Verdict
The GR Yaris is a genuinely committed piece of engineering wrapped in an unassuming hatchback body. It remains one of the best value performance cars sold in Australia.
Where this came from
Every changeable figure above, what it was checked against, and when.
Figures are correct as at the dates shown. We re-check cars on sale every three months and tax thresholds every July. How we check our facts.
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