New Gr Yaris Has “seb” And “morizo” Modes, And Both Are Built To Misbehave

Rally fans will know Sebastien Ogier and his GR Yaris recently wrapped up the Frenchman’s ninth WRC title, and to celebrate Toyota is giving us the chance to buy our very own Ogier-edition version of the hot hatch.

Related: Toyota Stepped Away So GR Could Grow Into Something Bigger Than Toyota

Built by Toyota Gazoo Racing, the ridiculously-named GR Yaris Sébastien Ogier 9x World Champion Edition is based on the Aero Performance Package car and limited to just 200 units worldwide. Europe gets half of them, while Japan handles sales via a lottery. This is not a car you’re going to casually stumble across at a dealership.

New Modes With Rally Roots

The headline feature lives beneath the surface, but is accessed from the dashboard. Toyota worked directly with Ogier to create two bespoke all wheel drive modes. “Seb” mode replaces Track and runs a 40:60 torque split for a more rear-biased feel without sacrificing front-end bite. It’s meant to help the car rotate and feel alive on fast roads.

Find yourself with gravel under your tires, though, and you’ll want the Morizo mode, also developed with Ogier’s input. Under throttle the front and rear axles lock together for maximum traction, then relax under braking. This setup mirrors preferences Ogier discovered through real rally driving, and also channels the instincts of Akio Toyoda himself, better known in rally circles as Morizo.

Stealth Colors

Visually, Toyota kept things restrained. The new Black Gravite paint is paired with matte black wheels and Ogier’s signature blue brake calipers. A subtle French tricolour detail sneaks into the grille, while discrete graphics and badges make it clear this is something more special than your average GR Yaris, without shouting about it.

Inside, the rally influence continues. The steering wheel is slightly smaller with revised switchgear inspired by the Rally2 car. Tricolour stitching, a leather wrapped vertical handbrake, and a numbered plaque finish the job. Even the digital cluster gets unique graphics for the new drive modes.

Unveiled at Rallye Monte-Carlo in prototype form, this GR Yaris makes production later this year, but as yet there’s no word on prices. What we do know, sadly, is that it won’t be coming to the US, so how about a GR Corolla with a Seb-mode, Toyota?

Toyota