The Toyota Aqua 2023 newly redesigned and the hatchback is also currently being refreshed as part of the Toyota’s GR squad in Japan. Aqua GR Sport has a lot in common with Toyota GR Yarisbut Water is better associated with Prius in the United States, this essentially makes the new Aqua GR Sport the closest thing we’ve ever seen to the GR Prius. Well, at least until New Prius Prime Soon to be released in the US.
Toyota Aqua was sold as Prius C in America until it gets stop in 2019; Prius C (or c city) was advertised as a smaller version of everyone’s favorite hybrid, but fell out of favor for a number of reasons — not least the way peaceful that is for driving. After the Prius C was discontinued, the compact hybrid shell was transferred to the Corolla Hybrid in the US, but the Toyota Aqua still lives abroad, including in its home market of Japan.
Now that the latest model is out, Toyota Gazoo Racing is treating the new Aqua with a few upgrades. However, the Aqua GR Sport isn’t the full GR model, so it won’t produce more power than the standard model; The hatch will still be powered by a 1.5-liter three-cylinder making around 90 hp and just over 88 lb-ft of torque. The five-seater hatch will be sold exclusively as a 2WD model with power sent to the front wheels.
The base Aqua has a curb weight of 2,535 pounds, so Toyota engineers relied on the car’s small size and weight, tweaking the suspension for better handling and improving steering response by Adjust the power steering control system. Toyota GR also wanted the car to become more rigid, so they added a brace under the floor and reinforced the rear bumper for more stability when cornering.
And because this is the GR version, the Aqua GR Sport also has a few design touches on the outside and inside to set it apart from other Toyota Aquas that are circling around Japan sipping fuel. The base model gets 79 miles per gallon combined (WLTC) but the Aqua GR Sport will get slightly less, at 69 MPG. The extra weight of the bracing and reinforcements don’t help here, as do the larger 17-inch aluminum wheels. But the Aqua GR Sport seems to be part of it, and I bet the new suspension and steering will make the small car fun to ride. Light cars with handling are a delight and a Prius with the GR badging and retuned is a great idea. The Aqua GR Sport will start at 2,595,000 yen in Japan, or $18,761 at current exchange rates.
