Toyota GR Yaris: The internet has mixed feelings about the dashboard

At the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon, the updated Toyota GR Yaris made its world premiere. With a new look in front and a stiffer chassis, Toyota also made key changes to the homologation special’s turbocharged powertrain. It’s making more power and a new variant geared things towards convenience with the 8-speed auto.

All of those updates seem to have made the GR Yaris a more attractive all-wheel-drive hatchback for enthusiasts. However, there’s something in the new update that did not quite achieve a positive response from GR Yaris owners, enthusiasts, and generally, by netizens on social media. If every one of those comments we've seen can speak the Filipino language, we imagine the reaction would be "Anyare?" 

We’re talking about the blocky dashboard of the GR Yaris that’s part of the new update. From having a separate binnacle for the instrument cluster and a “floating” screen for infotainment, both have been combined on a single panel. The A/C vent was also changed from a horizontal to a circular style that gives old-school vibes.

Here are some of the comments we've seen on the internet:

In the name of ergonomics, Toyota says this was done to improve driving posture and improve visibility, as the control panel and display have been tilted 15 degrees toward the driver. It’s an attempt to make a more driver-centric cockpit like the A80 Supra’s fighter jet style.

Toyota Supra MkIV (A80) dashboard

If anything, the attempt at making a blocky dashboard is quite similar to what Hyundai did with the dashboard of the Stargazer MPV. The response from the public may have been the reason why the blocky panel was trimmed down for the new update, along with a new piano black material.

As we all know, Toyota knows how to listen to its fanbase. People wanted a manual transmission GR Supra, and now there’s one in global markets. People wanted something more practical than the GR Yaris but with all-wheel-drive? They made the GR Corolla.

So what do you think of the new GR Yaris dashboard? Is it a hit or a miss? Let us know in the comments.