Toyota GR Yaris – interior and tech

Inside the updated GR Yaris, it’s all change. Most importantly, there’s a a better driving position to put you more in touch with it all. You sit 25mm lower than previously and look out across a 50mm lower dashboard. 

The main mirror, which previously sat slap-bang in your line of sight, has been moved too. Instant improvement all round. There’s a little more reach adjustment in the steering column as well. 

It would be a stretch to describe the new dash as attractive, with a blocky facia that’s functional to the point of utilitarianism. When I first saw photos of the prototype’s interior, I thought the facia was cladding, disguising the final dashboard design. As it turns out, it is the final dashboard design. It works well, though. Everything is angled toward the driver just-so, and in easy reach.

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In fact, in an evo office straw poll, most of the team loved the facia’s no-nonsense, motorsport-style function-over-form approach. And it’s not like the old Yaris dash was a thing of beauty.

There still aren’t many places to put things in the interior, bar a couple of cupholders, tight door pockets and an awkwardly shaped oddment bin behind the handbrake (still a proper, manual lever, which still decouples the transmission’s connection to the rear driveshafts when pulled hard, to facilitate handbrake turns).

Overall, the new digital dash display looks great: it’s clear, easy to read and, in Sport mode, changes the traditional rev-counter to a rally-style bar across the top of the screen, all the more rally-esque if you snag the rev limiter, which is a mildly thrilling rat-tat-tat hard stop rather than a soft limit.

There is now satnav as standard as part of a more modern touchscreen in the dash; it’s not the slickest system but it does the job. And this isn’t the sort of car you buy for its ergonomics and infotainment, after all. 

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The old car took a much more as-necessary approach to interior design but in spite of the problems addressed in the new car, there were high points. Elements that felt absolutely right and are preserved in the new car include the high-mounted gearlever, that falls to hand almost perfectly. The pedals also are well placed for heel-and-toeing, plus the steering wheel itself is thin-rimmed and feels just right in the hands.

Before going all digital, the dial set was GR Yaris bespoke, with a clean and clear analogue set-up with white-on-black graphics and red needles. It’s this detail-level of thought found throughout the GR Yaris that made it feel like a real passion project, rather than something thrown together.