At this year's Geneva motor show, Toyota is promising to take the wraps off a World Rally-inspired hot hatchback version of its usually sensible Yaris city car.
The 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit is yet to open its doors to the general public, but Toyota is already teasing what to expect at the next major event on the international automotive calendar - the Geneva motor show in March.
And one of the stars of its stand is set to be a very hot, rally-inspired version of its compact city car, the Yaris - a vehicle that until now was known for practicality, not power.
But that's about to change with the first genuinely hot hatch Yaris from the Japanese carmaker. Toyota won't reveal the car's complete set of vital statistics until March but it has confirmed that the car is inspired by the World Rally Championship (WRC) Yaris which is set to compete in this year's competition and that the road-going car will come with over 210hp and exclusively in three-door form.
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Competition within the hot hatch market is at its most intense since the 1980s and the new Yaris will have to be able to keep up with the established Ford Fiesta ST, Volkswagen Polo GTi and any number of Abarth-tuned Fiat 500 models.
What's more, Hyundai is also tipped to launch a genuine compact hot hatch in 2017. But if the company's horsepower rating is accurate, it should be able to hold its own.
There's also the fact that Toyota never sets foot in a new market unless it's certain it can perform, whether it's high-end luxury (the Lexus brand), genuine off-road prowess (the Toyota Land Cruiser), or Porsche beating straight-line speed (Toyota Supra).
Therefore, like the WRC - a competition it's returning to after an 18-year break -- Toyota isn't rushing into a new venture with a product that's not good enough.
In terms of the Yaris rally car, fans will get a chance to see how good it is on January 19 when it undertakes the first race of the season in Monte Carlo. As for the hot-hatch incarnation, the 2017 Geneva motor show opens to the public on March 9.
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