Manual gearboxes will outsell the newly-available automatic option across the updated GR Yaris and GR Corolla range.
That’s the bold prediction from Toyota’s sales and marketing chief, Sean Hanley, following the launch of the latest line-up of hot hatches and sports cars.
For the first time the GR Yaris and Corolla will be available in both the six-speed manual and a new eight-speed automatic. The automatic gearbox has been specifically developed for hot hatches with closer ratios and AI function to predict shift behaviour.
While Toyota expects strong uptake on the new transmission, it is in no way wavering from the commitment to a three-pedal option for the Yaris and Corolla. In fact, across the two, Hanley is expecting the manuals to still reign supreme.
His prediction is that the Corolla will be something of a 50-50 split between manual and auto buyers, while the punchy little Yaris will continue to appeal to those wanting the six-speed gearbox.
“The Yaris will be slanted more to manual, two third and one third auto, is what we’re thinking,” Hanley told Torquecafe.
“The manual gearbox is still going to be important to performance enthusiasts. But people like me would probably go for the auto.
“But in the end we’ll see. I still think for the Yaris they’ll go manual, that’s what I believe. The key for this is to have choice.”
If that plays out as predicted the GR hot hatch twins would be amongst the most popular manual models in Australia. Many brands, even with performance cars, have shifted away from manuals in favour of autos in the past decade. It means Toyota’s transformation away from its ‘whitegoods on wheels’ image has worked, in large part thanks to the addition of the GR models.
The auto transmission arrives as part of a raft of updates with the new GR range.
The Yaris now matches the Corolla’s output from the three-cylinder, 1.6-litre turbo engine at 221 kW while both have better torque at 400 Nm.
The Yaris cockpit has been tweaked for better visibility along with some exterior styling changes and the addition to customise the front/rear drive split in track mode.
The Corolla has improved cooling, aero and revised suspension while the GR 86 has tweaked dampers and a more aggressive shift logic for its automatic gearbox.
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