Toyota Says "Stay Tuned" About A New Hot Hatchback

CarBuzz

By Jared Rosenholtz

Published Feb 16, 2020

But it might not say Yaris on it.

Yaris Hatchback

Make: Toyota
Segment: Hatchback

Following the reveal of the rally-inspired Yaris GR, Toyota has been coy on whether or not the car will be offered in the United States. With a tiny 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder sending 268 horsepower out to all for wheels through a six-speed manual transmission, you can bet enthusiasts everywhere are clamoring to get this hot hatch here in the states. Toyota has even taken to Twitter to run a straw poll on whether or not it should be offered. The only trouble is, it's difficult to say if the Yaris GR has a large enough market.

CarBuzz recently caught up with Toyota executive vice president of sales, Bob Carter at the launch event for the 2021 Supra. Most of our Q&A session was spent answering inquiries about the updated Supra but eventually, the elephant in the room of the Yaris GR was brought up. Here's what Toyota had to say on the matter.

When asked about the future availability in the US, Carter told CarBuzz to "stay tuned about the GR Yaris." The manner in which Carter answered the question strongly hinted that Toyota is working on something exciting for the US market but can not share any details yet. Some recent speculation points towards a GR-branded Corolla, which could borrow the drivetrain from the Yaris GR. Seeing as Americans prefer larger cars, it would make sense for Toyota to give the GR treatment to the Corolla instead of the Yaris.

There is also some trouble regarding the current Toyota Yaris that is sold in the US. Unlike the European model, which was built by Toyota, the Yaris sold stateside is actually a rebadged Mazda2. Chances are, homologating the Yaris GR in the US for a small production would be a losing proposition for Toyota and the car would be expensive.

Another possible candidate for the GR treatment is the CH-R crossover. The American market loves crossovers, so it might make sense for Toyota to stuff the Yaris GR's three-cylinder engine into its sub-compact CH-R. The only trouble is, the CH-R is set to be replaced in 2023, so a GR version may have to wait until the next-generation is revealed.