Performance car fans have something to look forward to this 2025, at least according to the LTO (Land Transportation Office). What’s the correlation, you ask?
That’s because the homologation papers for the new Toyota GR Yaris are now in. That means it’s one step closer to an official launch. Well, that’s what we’re hoping for.
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According to the documents, there are two variants of the new GR Yaris coming in. The first is the model most are familiar with, the one equipped with the manual. However, the papers also indicate that the automatic version is, at the very least, ready to be sold in the Philippines.
We can already see the purists sharpening their pitchforks already. Still, for those who’d like a GR Yaris in a friendlier package, at least the option is now there. But aside from the eight-speed automatic transmission option, the update means a new look for the hot hatch, along with a welcome boost under the hood.
The bumpers have been reshaped, but it’s not for purely aesthetic reasons. Instead, it’s for homologation purposes for the GR Yaris to be eligible to compete in the World Rally Championship. The aero tweaks in the race car should also be applied to the road-going model, hence the update. Think of it as an evolution of the car.
Inside, the dashboard gets a new look that puts form well above function with its block design. The center stack is tilted towards the driver, and buttons have been rearranged for better ergonomics.
The new GR Yaris still uses the same 1.6-liter, three-cylinder turbo engine. But this time around, there’s more kick under the hood. Power rises to 300hp and 400Nm, not that the current version needed any more power.
We’re not complaining though.
