Toyota said that the unexpected success of the Toyota GR Yaris has led to the model being a permanent fixture in the brand's lineup, reports Autocar UK.

Naohiko Saito, the chief engineer, revealed this information during an event where Autocar had the opportunity to test a prototype of the facelifted GR Yaris. Saito said, “This isn't the end of development,” indicating ongoing improvements.

Initially, Toyota aimed to produce 25,000 cars with the distinctive three-door bodyshell to homologate its shape for participation in the World Rally Championship.

Toyota even created a more affordable GR variant for the Japanese market called the RS, featuring the regular Yaris's 1.5-litre hybrid powertrain without any of the core performance bits of the GR model.

It sold more than 3,000 units of the RS, but having surpassed Toyota's expectations with over 32,000 units of the GR Yaris have been sold globally, the RS was not required to meet production targets.

Also read: This is a GR Yaris disguised as a Lexus LBX, and the 8AT makes perfect sense here

It was noted that 48 percent of the GR Yaris’ buyers acquired the hot hatch as an 'additional car' alongside their existing vehicles. This contrasts with the typical hot hatch purchase pattern, where around 10 percent serve as supplementary vehicles, and the majority are the owner's sole vehicle.

Saito acknowledged the unprecedented interest from buyers and revealed that the GR Yaris is currently exceeding its projected sales by 100 percent. The decision to proceed with the facelift was justified by this success, and Saito credited the enthusiasm of Akio Toyoda, the former president and CEO turned chairman.

Toyota executives have implicitly confirmed their commitment to developing and selling the GR Yaris as long as emissions regulations permit. Countries such as Japan, the UK, Switzerland, Germany, and Australia have shown significant interest in the model.

Also read: The 2024 Toyota GR Yaris' interior is the result of engineers picking up the design pen

Saito highlighted the brand's dedication to preserving the essence of sports cars, stating, "Smells and noise is something we don’t want to give up. We want to make sports cars for the next 100 years." 

Production of the facelifted GR Yaris is slated to commence in April, with deliveries in overseas markets expected in June.

As for Malaysia, the eventual launch if the facelifted 2024 Toyota GR Yaris is to be expected, given that all GR models have been launched in Malaysia.

Malaysia also holds an important position as Toyota's primary market in the region for GR models, with the highest allocation of pre-facelift GR Yaris units - officially confirmed to be less than 250 - in South East Asia.

Currently, UMW Toyota’s GR lineup comprises of the GR Supra, GR86, and the GR Corolla, prices are:

• Toyota GR Supra – RM 645,000 (MT), RM 655,000 (AT)
• Toyota GR86 – RM 295,000 (MT), RM 305,000 (AT)
• Toyota GR Corolla – RM 355,000

Also read: Harder, sharper and angrier - facelifted 2024 Toyota GR Yaris debuts; 304 PS/400 Nm, 8AT option