The Toyota Yaris May Get a Performance Version Aimed at the Fiesta ST

Other than the 86, Toyota lacks any sort of true performance car, and it’s been this way for quite some time. Recently, a teaser image from the automaker’s European division showed what looked to be a hopped-up Yaris – I know, the irony is quite thick.

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Reports indicate that this sharp-looking hatchback could, indeed, be a preview of the rumored performance-oriented Yaris Gazoo. While the details are scarce at this point, the sketch does show a far more stylish hatchback with sporty side sills, aggressive front and rear bumpers, a rear diffuser, big wheels and a rear spoiler. This model is also significantly lower than the standard Yaris.

The under-hood bits are where things become a bit of a guessing game. With it rumored to battle the Fiesta ST and the Europe-only VW Polo GTI, it’ll have to pack a turbocharged four-cylinder that pumps out somewhere in the range of 200 ponies. Currently, Toyota doesn’t have an engine that’s small enough to fit in the Yaris and produces that kind of power. That said, given Toyota’s been dabbling more in the turbo realm with Lexus, building this sort of engine shouldn’t be an issue.

The other mystery is availability of this powerful hatchback. Given Toyota only revealed this teaser on its European pages, there is a good chance it’ll be a Europe-only model. That said, the hot-hatch segment is still in demand in the U.S., so Toyota would be wise to hop on that trend while it lasts.

Stay tuned for updates.