UPDATE: Toyota responded to Motor1.com's inquiry about the petition. "It’s great to know there’s an enthusiastic fan base for the GR Yaris, and that they’re signing a petition to show their support," company spokesperson Nancy Hubbell said. "It’s highly unlikely we will bring that vehicle to the U.S."
Never Say Never:
The Toyota Yaris GR is the hottest hatchback of the moment, but it's not coming to the United States largely because the version of the Yaris in America is a completely different vehicle than in the rest of the world. This isn't stopping a Change.org petition from asking the automaker to bring the exciting model to North America. As the petition explains it:
Toyota has taken steps to revitalize their [sic] brand with the re-introduction of the new Supra. The problem is, the car is priced out of reach for a lot of the general population, and not the best choice as a year round [sic] vehicle in areas that have snow on the roads 5 months a year.
Send Toyota a message - sign this petition to tell them you want this sporty, fun and innovative car on our roadways! We want an affordable AWD fun car.
As of this writing, the petition has 470 supporters in three days since its creation. That's probably not enough to convince Toyota to bring the Yaris GR to North America, but the initiative has to start somewhere. Motor1.com has reached out to Toyota for a comment on the campaign.
Gallery: 2020 Toyota GR Yaris
The Yaris GR boasts a 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine that produces 257 horsepower (192 kilowatts) and 266 pound-feet (360 Newton-meters) in the European market or 268 hp (200 kW) and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) in Japan. Regardless of region, the hot hatch comes exclusively with a six-speed manual and all-wheel drive with Torsen limited-slip differentials on both axles.
According to Toyota, this setup can push the European version of the speedy Yaris to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in less than 5.5 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 143 mph (230 kph). The company doesn't yet say whether the extra power for the Japanese model means brisker acceleration.
Get All The Official Details:
The Yaris GR weighs just 2,822 pounds (1,280 kilograms) thanks to the use of carbon fiber polymer and aluminum to keep the weight down. The roofline sits 3.6 inches (91 millimeters), which creates a sporty silhouette.
Deliveries of the Yaris GR begin in Europe and Japan in the second half of 2020.
Source: Change.org