The pre-facelift Toyota GR Yaris was one of those cars that made its flaws easy to ignore. The seating position was too high. Visibility was poor. The cabin plastics were hardly worthy of the asking price. And yet, once you started driving it properly, none of that seemed to matter all that much because the
That, to me, was always the magic of the GR Yaris. It was a car whose appeal ran deeper than the spec sheet or the price tag. The more time you spent with it, the more it drew you in.
Now, with the facelifted GR Yaris, or what many simply call the Gen 2, Toyota has addressed two of the biggest complaints. And that alone already makes it even more lovable.
The driving position is sweet now. You sit lower, more naturally, and the improved visibility means you no longer feel like you are peering out through a welding helmet when looking towards the side. That is a meaningful improvement because in a car like this, where placement and confidence matter, being able to sit properly and see properly are crucial.
Part of fixing the visibility meant redesigning the dashboard, and that has been one of the more controversial parts of the facelift. On the internet, at least.
In person, I have had more people tell me they like the new dashboard than people telling me they hate it. I am still not especially fond of how it looks. It has a lorry-like uprightness to it that feels more functional than elegant. But to that end, it is excellent. Everything is within easy reach, and it is very obvious that Toyota prioritised usability here.
There are changes, too, on the outside. I like the new tail-lights a lot. In fact, they make the pre-facelift car look slightly incomplete by comparison. The reverse light has also been moved upwards, which Toyota says was done after reports of the previous setup melting. It looks fine either way. At the front, the bumper has more black-painted sections now, though personally I still prefer the look of the pre-facelift. That is strictly a taste thing.