2024 Toyota GR Yaris Ogier Edition | PH Review
Are special diff modes and a carbon wing enough to justify hunting down one of the 200 original Ogiers?
Toyota spent a fortune developing the GR Yaris to give its WRC team a competitive leg up. Engineers from Japan and the firm’s motorsport division in Europe turned the humble Yaris upside down in the hunt for performance, equipping it with a bespoke all-wheel drive system, an all-new 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine putting out over 160hp per litre, and a totally reworked body, designed with the rally car’s aero appendages in mind. Of course, a last-minute rule change meant the GR Yaris was never able to live up to its intended homologation special status, but a sold-out production run of 25,000 cars and the springboard of a highly successful performance portfolio proved Toyota’s work wasn’t in vain.
Then came a mid-life refresh that sharpened up the chassis, bumped power up from 260hp to 280hp and overhauled the interior with a much-improved driving position and dash layout. Of course, the world had changed in the four years between the two releases, meaning production numbers were slashed to meet stricter emissions laws and the original £30k price tag swelled to a colossal £45k. Not that Toyota has had any trouble shifting them, having seen the premiums some buyers were paying for nearly-new examples when the GR Yaris first arrived. Knowing that demand was at an all-time high, the company twinned the facelift with a pair of WRC specials: one to mark Kalle Rovanperä’s back-to-back championship wins and the other celebrating the eight titles of Sébastien Ogier.
Telling the two apart is dead simple, because they were given drastically different colour schemes. The Rovanperä Edition came in a punchy livery designed by one of the Finnish driver’s mates and featuring the double world champion’s number 69 scrawled across the C-pillar. The Ogier Edition, meanwhile, came in a far more subtle and exclusive shade of Matte Stealth Grey, with the Rovanperä Edition’s swan-neck wing making way for a more rally-esque CFRP version, plus various French flags dotted around the place. Now, as you may know, Toyota released a second Ogier Edition earlier this year to honour the Frenchman’s record-equalling ninth title. That one’s finished in matte black and bears a stronger resemblance to the Aero Performance we recently drove, but, bar some very minor tweaks, it’s mechanically identical to the 2024 edition we have here.
What that means is you get all the goodness from the facelift, including a stiffer chassis courtesy of a 13 per cent increase in the number of spot welds and 24 per cent more structural adhesive, as well as additional mounting points for the suspension struts and stiffer springs. Where the Ogier deviates from the standard car is the addition of two new diff settings. The base car’s ‘Track’ setup makes way for ‘Seb’ mode, which distributes torque 40:60 across the two axles to encourage a bit more slip from the rear axle. Meanwhile, ‘Morizo’ mode, named after Akio Toyoda’s racing pseudonym, is an even 50:50, while ‘Normal’ remains unchanged with a front-biased 60:40 split.
Truth be told, you’d need a decent amount of room and, ideally, a standard GR Yaris on hand to get a proper grasp on how these modes compare to those on the regular model. Fortunately, I had just that when the facelift arrived in 2024, which included a brief session at one of France’s lesser-known tracks, Circuit du Laquais, in an Ogier Edition much like this. Back then, the differences were subtle but tangible. Press the button for ‘Seb’ mode and the Ogier becomes much more eager to rotate than in the standard car’s variable ‘Track’ setting. A stab of the brakes and a flick towards the apex provokes the tiniest bit of slip from the rear, but before it’s given the chance to break loose, you'll find yourself back on the power with all four wheels firmly stuck to the tarmac.
Back to the present day and on more familiar roads, those characteristics are still tangible, though it’s only really in tighter corners, where you can scrub off some speed on entry and try your best Scandi flick, that it reveals its more playful side. With enough gusto, it’ll make you feel like a nine-time champ dancing from hairpin to hairpin at the Monte Carlo Rally - and you just know that it would truly shine in the drizzlier months. But at anything other than your absolute fullest commitment, the Ogier feels just like a GR Yaris. That’s especially true when you turn the dial to the evenly split ‘Morizo’ mode, which admittedly doesn’t feel any different to the standard car’s 53:47 ‘Gravel’ setting. It’s intended as the go-to track setup, presumably because it brings an extra layer of stability while dialling out some of the default mode’s understeer. And, yes, it’ll cling to an apex like a limpet to a boat’s hull, but ‘Seb’ mode is where the Ogier Edition really sets itself apart from the standard car - providing you’ve got an empty rally stage to exploit it.
Aside from the driving modes, there’s very little to differentiate the Ogier Edition from the standard car from behind the wheel. Which is no bad thing, because few cars are as fun to drive on a B road as the updated GR Yaris. The steering is beautifully weighted, and thanks to the revised suspension, it introduces a degree of feedback that seemed lacking in the original. Granted, the firmer setup means the GR doesn’t breathe with the road’s topography quite like the launch model did, though what you gain in return is superb body control with just enough travel for the car to still feel like the rally-bred hatch it is. The three-pot remains a gruff little thing, and needs a moment for the boost to build - but that’s all part of the GR’s charm, especially when each upshift of the six-speed 'box is accompanied by an audible flutter. No matter the road, it’s always a total riot.
On top of that, the updated model’s lower driving position means you no longer feel as though you’re sat atop the Yaris, while the redesigned dashboard provides a considerably better view out of the front than the old model’s letterbox-like cabin. The boxy look got a fair bit of flak when we first drove the ‘new’ GR back in 2024, and while it does look a little tacked-on, it’s more ergonomically satisfying than what came before. Ogier Edition touches include a plaque denoting the car’s build number out of the run of 200 (100 for Europe and 100 for Japan), plus red, white and blue stitching on the steering wheel, but, like the rest of the car, it’s otherwise standard GR Yaris fare.
Of course, tiny differences between the Ogier Edition and the regular GR would be easy to overlook if Toyota hadn’t lumped it with a humungous £15,000 premium at launch. And you’ll be paying even more than that to get your hands on one now, with this box-fresh example currently available at £79,850. Is it worth it for a couple of new diff modes, a wing that looks almost identical to that of the Aero Performance and some French flags? Not in the slightest. Then again, that’s never put people off forking out exorbitant amounts of cash for red Tommi Mäkinen Edition Evos or Martini 5 Lancia Deltas. Meaning the Ogier joins an illustrious list of rally specials that are more at home on a concours lawn than the Col de Turini, simply because they’re all far too valuable and collectable to properly enjoy. Happily, if it’s merely a good hoon you’re after, you're welcome to grab a standard GR Yaris and have at it.
SPECIFICATION | TOYOTA GR YARIS SÉBASTIEN OGIER EDITION
Engine: 1,618cc, three-cylinder, turbocharged
Transmission: six-speed manual, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 280@6,500
Torque (lb ft): 288@3,150-4,600rpm
0-62mph: 5.2 seconds
Top speed: 143mph
Weight: 1,280kg
MPG: 34
CO2: 187.9g/km
Price: £60,000 (2024)
Toyota have now fallen into the trap that Nissan fell into with the R35-GTR. Constantly updating the car. Meaning, why buy one now when in a few months, the next one will be "Slightly better". Although 99% of drivers would never tell the difference.
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