
The recently-unveiled, and already sold in Indonesia, Toyota Agya GR-Sport is probably not going to make it to local showrooms any time soon.
This is because the Agya in South Africa is being replaced by an even more affordable hatchback, the new Vitz.
The Vitz is based on the Suzuki Celerio and is the next product to come out of the extended partnership between Maruti Suzuki and Toyota – the same partnership that produced the Vitara Brezza and Urban Cruiser, and the Baleno and Starlet.
The GR hierarchy
Without the Toyota/Suzuki alliance, it’s quite possible that the Agya nameplate would have continued to live on in South Africa where it would have likely received the same GR facelift as many of the other vehicles under the Toyota banner.
GR, or Gazoo Racing, is the carmaker’s sports division, which over the years has provided models like the high-performance GR Yaris, GR Supra, GR Corolla, and GR86, but more recently Toyota has been rolling out what it calls “the GR Pyramid” to apply its racing credentials to a few of its more affordable entries.
In South Africa, this rollout has so far included the Corolla Cross, Land Cruiser 300, and Hilux, and overseas a similar treatment has been afforded to the Rav4.
The GR-Sport package is mostly cosmetic, providing a redesigned interior and a handful of exterior changes like badges, wheels, and a new grille, but it also tweaks the steering and suspension for improved handling.
The Agya GR-Sport is no different in this regard, as the athletic derivative shares the same engine as the rest of the line-up, but with upgraded suspension.
In South Africa, the hatchback is sold with a 1.0-litre petrol engine with 49kW, but the Indonesian range features a 1.2-litre drivetrain with a higher power ceiling of 65kW.
The GR-Sport also has a CVT transmission and comes with a set of paddle shifters, a GR-branded push-start button, seats with GR branding and red needlework, an upgraded 8-inch infotainment screen, and a unique aerodynamic body kit.
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