Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Debuts Looking Quite Aggressive With Over 500 HP

A new era of WRC starts in 2022 with Toyota Gazoo Racing, M-Sport Ford, and Hyundai N competing for the title with their brand-new Rally1 hybrid rally cars. Just a few days before the season-opening Rally Monte Carlo, Toyota has fully revealed the 2022 GR Yaris Rally1 together with the announcement of the driver lineup. During the presentation, in typical Akio Toyoda fashion, the company’s President sat behind the wheel of the new rally car performing some donuts.

The new rally car looks like a beefed-up version of the production-spec GR Yaris, but it is actually based on a dedicated spaceframe chassis. Visually it retains the three-door silhouette of the production car but it benefits from a very aggressive bodykit that includes wide fender extensions, pronounced bumpers, a massive rear spoiler, and the newly introduced side-mounted air intakes.

Watch Also: Toyota President Akio Toyoda Shows Us Who’s The Boss In A GR Yaris

The plug-in hybrid powertrain consists of a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine that is a carry-over from the previous season, working alongside an electric motor-generator unit producing an extra 134 hp (100 kW / 136 PS) and a 3.9 kWh battery back. Toyota claims that the combined power output is over 493 hp (368 kW / 500 PS), transmitted to all four wheels.

Besides the electrification, the new regulations mandated the return to the mechanical gearshift and the removal of the active center differential, thus making driving more demanding for the drivers. All Rally1 cars will be running on sustainable fuel while batteries will charge both through regenerative braking and from an external power source in the service area between stages.

The driver lineup for 2022 will include eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier with new co-driver Benjamin Veillas. However, the reigning champion will be competing in a partial schedule of events for the new season. The French driver stated: “I’m at the beginning of a different stage in my career, and as I’m not taking part in the full championship the feeling is a little bit different to usual for me at this time of the year”, adding “I’m still a competitor and I still want to win, so I will be giving my best to perform”.

The leading duo for 2022 will be Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin, who came second last year, plus the promising Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttune who came fourth in 2021. The other GR Yaris Rally1 will be driven by Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston, with four Toyota rally cars present at every stage. Team principal and WRC veteran Jari-Matti Latvala stated: “Rallying is entering a very new era and it’s a very exciting moment,” adding that “There are a lot of changes for them to adapt to with how they drive and set up the cars”.

The Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 will compete against the recently-revealed Hyundai i20 N Rally1 and M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 starting from Rally Monte Carlo in January 20-23. Toyota Gazoo Racing has big shoes to fill this year since they come from a pretty successful season having won both the manufacturers’ and the drivers’ titles in 2021.