GR Yaris Triumphs for Toyota in the 2021 carwow Awards

• Public vote in their thousands to make GR Yaris carwow’s Car of the Year
• World Rally-bred hatchback also takes Best Hot Hatch title
• Special award bestowed on Toyota President Akio Toyoda for bringing GR Yaris to market
• New Yaris is Best Small Hybrid Car

In just a few short weeks, the new Toyota GR Yaris has won the hearts of the UK’s car fans who have voted in their thousands to make it Car of the Year in 2021 carwow Awards.

It’s another barnstorming performance from the GR Yaris, an authentic “homologation special” developed with direct input from Toyota Gazoo Racing’s World Rally Championship-winning team. Having claimed the Hot Hatch of the Year title in the awards, it was included in a shortlist of three models for online public voting via the car buying comparison website’s YouTube channel. Its margin of success was substantial – around 5,000 votes clear of its closest rival.

Announcing the results last night, carwow’s Chief Content Officer Mat Watson said: “The Toyota GR Yaris is a fantastic little pocket rocket that put the biggest smile on my face from the first time I drove it. Our audience absolutely loves it too. It took an early lead in our Car of the Year poll and didn’t look back.”

The immediate impact the GR Yaris has made was also recognised in a special “thank you” award from carwow to Toyota President Akio Toyoda for committing to make the car and bring it to market. Watson commented: “This award is to personally thank the boss of Toyota for making us happy, for giving us the glorious GR Yaris. Akio Toyoda personally pushed through this project to make a gem of a rally-bred homologation special that appeals to every car fan.”

While GR Yaris continues to dominate the performance car headlines, carwow also honoured its more conventional sibling, giving the Best Small Hybrid Car award to the new, fourth generation Yaris. Mat Watson declared: “The new Toyota Yaris has everything you want from a small car. It looks good, is easy to drive and it comes with loads of standard kit. And because it’s a hybrid it does more than 60mpg. You can’t argue with that.”

ENDS