Toyota Gazoo Racing is reportedly working on another sharp hatchback. He heads to the rally as well as to the road

The new generation of Toyota Starlet, which is sold in South Africa, could first come to the world as a sharp version of the GR Starlet destined for car competitions.

The name Toyota Starlet probably won’t resonate very strongly with European fans of the brand, but it was a globally successful small hatchback between 1973 and 1999. In 2020, it was reborn as the rebranded Suzuki Baleno for South Africa. This model is to receive a new generation, based on the DNGA-B platform, i.e. Daihatsu New Global Architecture in a version for the B segment.

Toyota has reportedly been working on the new generation for some time, but its launch was delayed by the Daihatsu car company’s lawsuits until 2026. However, the new generation is also expected to receive a GR version. This is reported by the Japanese web magazine Best Car.

The GR Starlet would focus primarily on car competitions, where it could compete in the Rally 4 group alongside the Peugeot 208, Opel Corsa or Ford Fiesta. This class mandates a weight of at least 1,080 kg, an engine of 1.4–2.0 liters in the case of naturally aspirated and 0.9–1.3 liters with a turbocharger, which must be fitted with a 30 mm intake restrictor.

However, the road GR Starlet could be a meter lighter thanks to, among other things, smaller dimensions and the absence of all-wheel drive. Under the hood, there could be a turbocharged three-cylinder with a volume of 1.3 liters, which would give approximately 110 kW (150 horses), and it would travel to the front wheels through a manual six-speed manual or an automatic eight-speed transmission.

In Japan, its price could be 2.5-2.8 million yen, i.e. roughly 373-418 thousand crowns. That Toyota would offer it in Europe is unlikely; export to the Republic of South Africa, where, like in Japan, cars have the steering wheel on the right, is quite possible. After all, the current starlet, i.e. the rebranded package, participates in local rallies after the obvious modifications.