No cost upgrades coming for 2027 Toyota GR Yaris that make it a better car to challenge 2026 Hyundai i20 N and Volkswagen Polo GTI in Australia

Toyota’s GR Yaris hot hatch is about to receive some performance enhancements in Australia.

It will launch next month, with a spokesperson for Toyota Australia confirming there will be no price change for the new GR Yaris.

Read More About Toyota GR Yaris

• Toyota’s new high powered hybrid GR Yaris hot hatch rumoured to go hybrid to leave EVs such as 2026 BYD Atto 1 and Volkswagen ID.Polo in its dust
• Upgraded wild Toyota incoming: 2026 Toyota GR Yaris update gets important tweaks directly from motorsport as it fends off Hyundai i20N and Volkswagen Polo GTI
• Serious upgrade for pocket rocket hot hatch

It will now have a smaller steering wheel diameter of 360mm, down from 365mm. This smaller steering wheel has been designed to offer a more comfortable grasp for the driver when cornering. 

Steering has been given a further tune courtesy of an expanded operating range for electric assistance. 

There will also now be steering wheel-mounted switches positioned separately, with illumination to aid visibility and use under race conditions. 

The range-topping GTS will ride on new high-performance Bridgestone Potenza Race tires as part of the upgrades. 

There have been some minor design tweaks for the car to give it a sharper look. 

Toyota Australia Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations John Pappas said these minor upgrades were designed to provide the marginal improvements needed for racing success. 

“When you’re racing, improvements are measured in tenths of seconds and these upgrades to the GR Yaris are designed to deliver the sort of performance enhancements that can make a difference,” Pappas said.

The upgrades were inspired by Toyota’s recent success at the World Rally Championship. 

It will continue to be a rival to the Hyundai i20 N and the Volkswagen Polo GTI Down Under.

All GR Yaris variants use a 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, producing 221kW and 400Nm. 

Toyota’s hot hatch could be about to undergo a serious change before the end of the decade.

There have been rumours of a new hybrid set-up coming to GR Yaris in 2028 similar to recently-announced performance grades of the LandCruiser 300 4WD.

The brand did not confirm whether such a variant was in the works, but its potential announcement could coincide with the arrival of the new all-electric Yaris coming in 2028.