Surprise: The AWD Toyota GR Yaris Starts At Just £29,995

The level of bespoke engineering that went into Toyota’s GR Yaris is bewildering. It’s been created by joining together two existing platforms, doesn’t share a single part with the standard Yaris and has a trick, lightweight all-wheel drive system.

Sounds expensive, doesn’t it? We certainly thought so, and yet, the UK starting price has just been revealed by Toyota, and it’s just £29,995. That’s comfortably but not excessively more than the front-wheel drive, less powerful and much more conventional Ford Fiesta ST, and cheaper than most hot hatches from the segment above. In Germany, meanwhile, the car starts at €33,200.

Considering the performance you’re getting and the R&D costs Toyota Gazoo Racing will have pumped into this thing, that’s an absurd bargain. The price isn’t even that excessive if you add the Circuit Pack (including limited-slip differentials front and rear and nicer tyres), inflating slightly to a still thoroughly reasonable £33,495.

It’s not available to order just yet, but anyone tempted by those figures (a decent number of people, we should think) can sign up to a ‘keep me informed’ service via either a local dealer or Toyota’s UK website.

The first cars will be in the hands of customers this November.