Toyota Australia offers 2025 upgraded GR86, GR Yaris and GR Corolla

SYDNEY: Toyota Australia’s GR lineup of motorsport-honed performance vehicles has been refreshed for 2025, providing a range of improvements to driving performance, styling and features.

Along with the upgrades to the GR86, GR Yaris, and GR Corolla, two new special-edition coupes will also join the local GR line-up with the stylish GR86 Limited Edition now on sale and circuit-honed GR Supra Track Edition set arrive in mid-2025.

Toyota Australia vice president sales, marketing and franchise operations Sean Hanley said the raft of improvements, drawn from the knowledge gained through Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) motorsport activities, offered even greater driving thrills for customers of its GR range of sports cars.

Toyota GR86 tuned for better performance

The entry-level model in the GR range, the GR86, has undergone several changes to improve control, response and feedback, particularly for circuit driving.

The dampers and electric power steering system have both been retuned to improve handling response on tight circuits or winding country roads.

Improved throttle response and a more linear delivery of power from the 2.4-litre horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine that underpins all GR86 GT and GTS grades has been achieved by revising the engine’s throttle map and eliminating smoothing control and ignition delay control functionality.

The GR86 is offered with a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions with the automatic transmission having been reworked based on customer feedback to allow for manual downshifting at higher rpm.

The transmission now lets the drivers perform downshifts during sports driving at 1600rpm higher than before to provide additional engine braking and more responsive acceleration out of corners.

Peak outputs for the FA24 engine are unchanged with 174kW of power at maximum 7000rpm and peak torque of 250Nm at 3700rpm, which combined with the GR86’s classic rear-wheel-drive and front-engine layout, offers a highly-engaging driving experience, worthy of a two-door sports coupe.

The new flagship of the GR86 range is the special Limited Edition grade, of which only 86 examples will be offered for sale in Australia.

The GR86 Limited Edition is an immediate stand out on the road with an exclusive Forest Shadow green exterior paint hue, paired with striking bronze 18-inch alloy wheels and red painted brake calipers.

Based on the GTS with Dynamic Performance Pack, the Limited Edition gains ZF Sachs shock absorbers and high-performance Brembo brakes as standard to further enhance its on-track dynamics.

More power, torque and auto option for GR Yaris hot hatch

Toyota has also turned up the wick on its ballistic all-wheel drive (AWD) GR Yaris hot hatch, with a power and torque boost of 21kW and 30Nm respectively for its 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine, taking maximum outputs to a total of 221kW at 6500rpm and 400Nm from 3250-4600rpm.

Customers are now able to order the upgraded GR Yaris – in either GT or GTS grades - with the six-speed intelligent manual gearbox, or new eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission.

Like the six-speed manual gearbox, the new auto option is a close-ratio unit to enable optimum power delivery, but with a wider spread of ratios to suit high-speed cruising on open roads.

Extensive testing throughout the world in a range of driving scenarios have ensured the new automatic transmission is able to handle heavy usage scenarios with minimal shift lag and excellent heat resistance.

Manual mode and launch control provide drivers with excellent control and usability to match the manual.

Drive Mode Select allows owners to choose between Sport, Normal and Eco modes regardless of powertrain, which adapts the electric power steering, throttle, and air conditioning parameters and, on automatics, the transmission shift points, to suit driver behaviour and conditions. Custom mode can also configure the powertrain, steering and power steering as desired.

Three modes are also available for the AWD system – Normal, Track and Gravel mode – which allow the driver to distribute front and rear torque either 60:40 (Normal), 53:47 (Gravel) or variably (Track).

To help provide the automatic transmission with adequate cooling and reliable performance, the front-end of the GR Yaris has been redesigned with a new, wider lower grille design which houses a transmission cooler and on GTS grades, a sub radiator and intercooler spray system.

The new grille design helps to channel airflow through the side ducts placed in front of the front wheels and has been designed with a split construction to make replacement of damaged bumper parts easier.

At the rear, a more unified appearance is provided by a body-coloured rear spoiler and new combination taillights which now stretch across the width of the tailgate, while larger twin exhaust tips have been added to support the engine’s increased output.

A new Liquid Mercury metallic paint colour has been added to the GR Yaris range, bringing total colour choice to five along with Glacier White, Frosted White crystal pearl (GTS only), Tarmac Black pearl and Feverish Red mica metallic.

Inside, the GR Yaris has undergone a substantial redesign based on feedback from rally drivers around the world with a more driver-focused dash that now tilts 15 degrees towards the driver.

The driver’s seat hip point has been lowered by 25mm, while the clutch and footrest positions and steering column angle have also been revised for a more natural feel. The lower driver’s seat hip point has also created an extra 37.5mm of headroom, making it easier to drive with a helmet on.

Atop the centre console is a new 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen display with the upgraded system supporting wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The driver is provided with an extensive display of vital information via a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that offers multiple readouts with three configurable sections allowing owners to customise the display to their liking.

Other interior upgrades include two new USB-C ports which replace the existing single USB-A port, one of which sits in the passenger-side dashboard tray, which has been enlarged to allow the storage of bulkier items.

An expansion of the Toyota Safety Sense active safety technology suite now includes safe exit assist, front and rear parking sensors, and rear cross traffic alert, to complement the existing comprehensive line-up of systems including the pre-collision system, high-speed adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert, lane trace assist and blind spot monitor.

Automatic grades gain parking support brake with object and vehicle detection, and full-speed functionality for the adaptive cruise control system.

The upgraded GR Yaris range is available in two grades – the entry-level GT and newly introduced GTS which replaces the Rallye in the hot hatch lineup.

Both grades are offered with the choice of manual or automatic transmissions.

The flagship GTS, which adds features including BBS forged alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres, high-performance suspension, a Torsen limited-slip differential, red GR brake calipers, and an intercooler spray system and sub radiator.

GR Corolla gains new auto option, higher performance and upgraded features

Like the GR Yaris, the larger GR Corolla has also been bolstered with additional performance and equipment to make it even more capable on the track or the open road.

The 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine it shares with the GR Yaris pumps out 221kW, now boosted with an extra 30Nm of torque to take its total maximum torque output to 400Nm.

Like the GR Yaris, the GR Corolla also sends power to all four wheels and is available with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a new eight-speed automatic transmission.

Available in a single, highly-specified GTS grade, the GR Corolla also features a new wider front lower grille which provides improved airflow to the radiator, intercooler, brake ducts, sub radiator and automatic transmission fluid cooler.

A larger, higher-output cooling fan has also been added to reduce transmission temperatures.

Like the GR Yaris, the new GR Corolla lower grille provides aerodynamic benefit by discharging air through the side ducts in front of the wheelarches while also cooling the brake ducts.

Other updates for the GR Corolla include full wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto mirroring for the multimedia system, and the inclusion of Active Noise Control which helps cancel out unwanted noises from the cabin.

Automatic variants gain additional safety technologies with parking support brake with object and vehicle detection and all-speed adaptive cruise control.

GR Supra Track Edition takes high performance coupe to a new level

The flagship model in the TOYOTA GR range, the turbocharged six-cylinder GR Supra rear-drive coupe, carries over unchanged into 2025, but from mid-year, the GT and GTS manual or automatic GR Supra lineup will gain a new Track Edition.

The limited run Track Edition offers a range of mechanical and styling upgrades to make the two-door coupe even more dynamically capable and exciting to drive.

The Track Edition builds on the specification of the range-topping GTS and adds chassis and suspension enhancements.

These include stiffer rear underfloor bracing, reinforced rear subframe rubber mounting, larger front anti-rollbar and aluminium front and rear anti-roll bar brackets, and modified front control arm bearing and negative front camber adjustments, all of which contribute to more precise steering inputs, sharper handling and improved cornering grip.

The electronically controlled shock absorber characteristics have been modified to suit the revised suspension set-up, while the power steering system and active rear differential have also been adjusted to make the most of the GR Supra’s engaging driver dynamics.

Braking power has also been upgraded to improve circuit driving, with the front brake calipers increased in size from 348mm to 374mm, along with GR branding on the calipers.

More than just mechanical upgrades, the Track Edition is visually differentiated from the core GR Supra range by a new carbon fibre ducktail spoiler, upgraded front tyre spats, front wheel arch aero spats and matte black 19-inch alloy wheels.

Inside, further differentiation can be found thanks to red seat belts, Alcantara seat upholstery with GR logos embroidered into the headrests, and a red ring around the shift knob on manual grades.

Like the core GR Supra range, the Track Edition is available with both six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic transmission options, paired with the 3.0-litre turbocharged inline six-cylinder petrol engine producing a smooth and powerful 285kW from 5800-6500rpm and 500Nm all the way from 1800-5000rpm.

Along with the full spectrum of eight solid, metallic and matte paint choice offered across the GR Supra range, the Track Edition is further available with an exclusive matte black hue.