For all the hype surrounding the Toyota GR Yaris hatchback and its rally-inspired four-wheel drive drivetrain, all that matters is how effective all that fancy technology is at the limits of high speed grip. Like maybe when a giant moose crosses the road in front of you.
Hitting a moose in such a small car would be bad news for moose and driver, duh, so how nimble is the new GR Yaris when it matters? In a moose test, or evasion test, set up by KM77.com and published on YouTube, the GR Yaris showed a tight, flat ride, but ended up “not satisfyingly” on the first lap where the driver was not yet familiar with the car.
The car hit several cones during the first test and swung all the way to the right on the first turn of the maneuver. Subsequent tests managed to successfully perform the dodge maneuver without hitting cones. The video claims the test showed that “Smoother” driver input prevented the car from snapping into corners, as in previous tests with harder driver responses. That “click” is due to the short, fast body roll and limited tire slip through an impressive amount of grip, helping the Yaris to quickly change direction.
The successful test was run at just under 50mph, which is on par with other less performing vehicles with less suspension cheats that you would think could help the GR Yaris perform better in a moose test. However, the testers noted that the hatchback was able to withstand speed in the tests, and there was a clear lack of intrusive input from Electronic Stability Control. Apparently, this car is all suspension and tire where it counts, so that’s nice. In comparison, the video makes the slalom tests seem a joy.
The 2020 GR Yaris is powered by a three-cylinder engine that dumps 269 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque through a rear-biased four-wheel drive system. It gets a six-speed manual, weighs just 2,822 pounds and sounds too good to be true because, of course, it is not for sale in the US. Instead, Americans will reportedly get a different hatchback from Toyota in the future. Perhaps Toyota will improve the moose’s test results by then. Do it for the moose.
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