Is this Subaru's new hot hatch? Toyota Yaris GR-4 to feed Subaru twin - reports

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Could the Yaris GR-4 feed a Subaru model?
Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
8 Nov 2019
2 min read

Toyota may have inadvertently shed some light on Subaru's incoming hot hatch, with reports out of Japan suggesting the just-revealed Yaris GR-4 will get a fire-breathing Subaru twin.

Reports surfaced this week that Toyota was working on an all-wheel-drive monster, and that vehicle has now officially been confirmed as the Yaris GR-4 (which stands for Gazoo Racing, by the way).

In exciting news, those same reports suggested the  automotive giant was co-developing the new performance vehicle with Subaru, and that it would sit under the iconic WRX STI.

The car, labelled "Super AWD" by Japan's Best Car, is yet to be fully detailed, but rumours suggest it will sit below the WRX in terms of size, but not in performance.

Read More: Toyota teases new VW Polo GTI rival

Toyota has now issued an offical teaser image of the Yaris GR-4 (we're thinking the '4' stands for AWD), with the new model - in prototype form - to make its debut in Australia later this year. 

Another mystery is exactly what's powering the GR-4, but given its rally links and aggressive, aerodynamic body styling, we're thinking it's going to be something fast. 

The reports follow news Toyota is to purchase more of Subaru, increasing its ownership stake to above 20 per cent. Announcing that move, Toyota hinted more co-developed AWD models were to come.

“We will bring together the strengths of both companies and jointly develop the most comfortable AWD model,” a press release said.

Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
Andrew Chesterton should probably hate cars. From his hail-damaged Camira that looked like it had spent a hard life parked at the end of Tiger Woods' personal driving range, to the Nissan Pulsar Reebok that shook like it was possessed by a particularly mean-spirited demon every time he dared push past 40km/h, his personal car history isn't exactly littered with gold. But that seemingly endless procession of rust-savaged hate machines taught him something even more important; that cars are more than a collection of nuts, bolts and petrol. They're your ticket to freedom, a way to unlock incredible experiences, rolling invitations to incredible adventures. They have soul. And so, somehow, the car bug still bit. And it bit hard. When "Chesto" started his journalism career with News Ltd's Sunday and Daily Telegraph newspapers, he covered just about everything, from business to real estate, courts to crime, before settling into state political reporting at NSW Parliament House. But the automotive world's siren song soon sounded again, and he begged anyone who would listen for the opportunity to write about cars. Eventually they listened, and his career since has seen him filing car news, reviews and features for TopGear, Wheels, Motor and, of course, CarsGuide, as well as many, many others. More than a decade later, and the car bug is yet to relinquish its toothy grip. And if you ask Chesto, he thinks it never will.
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