Toyota to defend WRC crown with hybrid GR Yaris Rally1
Will Toyota dominate the 2022 WRC season once again?
Toyota’s ready to defend its World Rally Championship (WRC). After giving us a sneak preview of their upcoming GR Yaris Rally1 car last year, the automaker has finally pulled the covers off. No doubt, it looks even more insane compared to the camouflaged version. As part of WRC regulation changes, this rally-spec GR Yaris now uses a hybrid powertrain. It will go up against the new generation WRC challengers like the Hyundai i20 N and the Ford Puma hybrid rally cars.
Unlike the previous-generation Yaris rally car, this new one no longer uses a production shell based on the updated regulations. As a result, instead of looking like the road car version, this GR Yaris WRC may appear more like a distant relative. It wears the production-car headlights but features a more pronounced bumper with large integrated foglights and boxy fenders.
Possibly the most prominent features of the GR Yaris Rally1 are the massive side scoops situated behind the doors, which help cool the battery pack. At the rear, there’s a massive wing and an aggressive-looking diffuser integrated into the bumper.
Powering the GR Yaris is a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-4, not a three-cylinder turbo from the road car. Like its competitors, the engine is supplemented by a 100kW or 134 PS electric motor. According to Toyota, total output is rated at over 500 PS and 500 Nm torque while using 100% sustainable fuel. A 5-speed sequential gearbox then sends power to all four wheels.
A total of four GR Yaris Rally1 cars will be present on every round of the WRC this 2022 season. Leading the team will be 8-time WRC Champion Sébastien Ogier with new co-driver Benjamin Veillas in the #1 car. They will be joined by Elfyn Evans and his co-driver Scott Martin, who finished second in the 2021 standings; Kalle Rovanperä and his co-driver Jonne Halttunen, who came fourth overall last season; and Takamoto Katsuta with co-driver Aaron Johnston.
Will Toyota be able to defend their WRC crown this year with the new GR Yaris Rally1? We hope so.
