MOTORING NEWS - Toyota has indicated that it could expand the Morizo moniker currently affixed to the GR Corolla to the GR Yaris, complete with the former’s more powerful 1.6-litre turbocharged engine.
A combination that would result in the GR Yaris outputting 220kW/400Nm, the same as the standard GR Corolla, together with a weight drop expected to dip below the current model’s 1 645 kg kern mass, it will also translate to a 0-100km/h time faster than the present 5.5 seconds.
While likely to undergo extensive re-engineering to various components in order to accommodate the extra grunt, Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Chief Engineer, Naoyuki Sakamoto, told Australia’s carsales.com.au that the uprated three-cylinder G16E-GTS mill “could be applied to the GR Yaris”.
He, however, stated that while recent upgrades to gearbox have been sufficient to cope with the additional power and torque in the GR Corolla, the exhaust system would need to be reworked in order to fit the smaller dimensions of the Yaris.
Also unlikely is the incoming eight-speed automatic gearbox as per the Morizo, the racing alias of Toyota President and CEO Akio Toyoda, being all about weight saving the self-shifter will offset should it be fitted.
If indeed commissioned, production will be limited similar to the GR Corolla Morizo, whose allocation spans 200 units and only for the United States, a market the GR Yaris won’t be offered in anytime soon.
Unlikely additions though are launch control and a drift mode, with Sakamoto remarking, “we will continue to examine. We’re sticking to natural control of the vehicle. If the vehicle is good enough to control, we don’t have to prepare any special mode”.
In spite of little else being known at present, don’t be surprised if more details, including a possible confirmation, do emerge in the coming months.
