Ever since its debut, the GR Yaris has been putting a lot of smiles on a lot of faces, mostly those of the car journos that had the chance to sample the feisty hot hatch. But the time has come for Toyota's pocket-rocket to go rallying and looking at this video, it really seems up to the challenge.

Obviously, the current project is still work in progress, but we know it's the Toyota GR Yaris AP4, a build developed by Toyota Australia's Product Planning & Development arm with Neal Bates Motorsport. All while starting from a street-spec GR Yaris.

Once the teams sort out every mechanical aspect of the GR Yaris AP4, it will race in the 2021 season of the Australian Rally Championship with Harry and Lewis Bates behind the wheel, so the project involves two cars rather than one.

In developing the rally racers, the teams used virtual reality technology to pinpoint the exterior design that worked best for the car's purpose, Car Advice writes. What's more, every bit and bob was then refined using computer-aided design and fabrication began under Toyota Australia's supervision.

"It gives us an amazing platform to start with. We have got a carbon fiber roof, we've got aluminum doors, we've got the lightest and most powerful three-cylinder turbo mass production engine in the world, we've got an incredibly wide stance, and all-wheel drive - it's literally made to be rallied," said Neal Bates, chief of Neal Bates Motorsport, for the same outlet.

The GR Yaris AP4 rally car will rock the stock engine found in the road-going model, which as mentioned above, is a 1.6-liter, turbocharged three-cylinder mill good for 257 horsepower that revs to 7,200 rpm.

Power goes to all wheels through a six-speed manual and the driver can choose how he wants that power delivered - 60% to the front axle, 70% to the rear axle, or split equally between the two axles.

Looking at the shakedown video below, we'd say the AP4 is darn ready to torture the rally stages.

FAQ

Q: How Much Power Does the Kia K5 Have?

The main engine offered in the Kia K5 is the 1.6-liter that delivers 180 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. The K5 GT comes exclusively with a 2.5-liter four-banger that delivers 290 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. Unless you have a desire to accelerate hard in a Kia, the smaller 1.6-liter will do just fine for you, and you’ll achieve great fuel economy too. Our tester was the EX trim, which also included the 1.6-liter. In comparison, the Honda Accord’s 1.5-liter delivers 192 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque, while the Nissan Altima will give you 188 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque from a 2.5-liter inline-four.

Q: Does The Kia K5 Get Good Fuel Economy

As expected from the Kia name, the K5 does deliver pretty good fuel economy for a midsize sedan, netting 29 mpg in the city, 38 mpg on the highway, and 32 mpg combined. The K5 GT manages 24 in the city, and 32 on the highway. In comparison to the competition, the K5 performs admirably. The Honda Accord, for example, will give you 29 mpg in the city, 35 mpg on the highway, and 31 mpg combined.

Q: What Kind of Transmission Does the Kia K5 Have?

The Kia K5 comes standard across the lineup with a modern (but old-fashioned) eight-speed shiftable automatic transmission. This is kind of a big deal, actually, as both the Honda Accord and Nissan Altima are offered dominantly with a CVT. If memory serves correctly, the Accord can be had with a 10-speed automatic in some trims while the Altima is limited to a CVT.

Q: Does The Kia K5 Have Good Technology?

The Kia K5 isn’t much of a tech powerhouse compared to cars above its class, but where it competes, it does pretty well for itself. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. You can also opt for a wireless charging pad with a cooling fan, and it’s spring loaded so your phone stays in place even under mild spirited driving. The standard eight-inch touchscreen display is crisp and easy to navigate, but the upgraded 10.25-inch system does look better. We’d still recommend the smaller system, though, as we’re not a fan of the capacitive touch buttons on the larger system – simply because they are hard to locate without taking your eyes off the road.

During our time with the K5, we didn’t experience any false alarms from the advanced driver aids, and we should add that it’s become – basically – unanimous that Kia has one of the best driver aid and safety suites on the market.

Q: How Big is the Kia K5 Sedan?

The Kia K5 measures 191.3 inches long, 73.2 inches wide, and 56.9 inches tall. These figures make it an at least an inch shorter in length compared to the Honda Accord or Nissan Altima, yet it rides on a 112.2-inch wheelbase – that’s 0.8-inches longer than the Accord and one inch longer than the Altima. With the wheels pushed deeper into the corners, the K5 actually handles a little better, something that’s also aided by the longer front and rear tracks at 63.7 and 64 inches, respectively. Check out the full exterior dimensions comparison below:

Q: Kia K5 Pricing

The Kia K5 may trace its roots back to the turn of the millennium, but the Accord has been a mainstay since 1976, giving it nearly five decades of experience. During this time, the Accord has become known as one of the most reliable vehicles (it’s a Honda thing) and it has also grown up from a compact car to a midsize car, a transition that happened in 1989 when the fourth-gen model made its debut. These days, the Honda Accord is still riding out the midsize segment, and it’s doing so with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder that’s good for 192 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. The main transmission offered is a CVT (not ideal, I know) but you can get a 10-speed auto on certain trims. Fuel efficiency comes in at 29 mpg in the city, 35 mpg on the highway, and 31 mpg combined – putting it kjust a hair below that K5 in highway and combined driving, but on par in the city.

In terms of size, the Accord is just a bit larger than the K5, but not by much. And, with the K5 being brand new for this year, we have no choice but to admit that the now-4-year-old Accord falls a little behind in both technology and interior appointments. Not that it’s bad, as the Accord does have a really nice interior, the K5 is just newer, and that goes a long way. Pricing for the Accord starts out at $24,970 and climbs as high as $36,900 for the range-topping Touring 2.0T trim level.

Q: Is the Kia K5 Better Than the Honda Accord

Like the Honda Accord, the Nissan Altima started life as a compact car and transitioned into the midsize category later on. This happened with sedan models in 1998 while the Altima coupe was sold as a compact until 2013. On the market since 1993, the Altima is now in its sixth generation, which was introduced back in 2018. So, also like the Accord, the technology and design is just a bit older than what you see in the K5. In fact, one could even argue that Kia did its homework well enough to excel in all the areas slightly older cars like the Accord and Maxima might be faulted. That said, the Altima is still a nice vehicle for the price if you can get past the lack of powertrain options and the fact that you’re stuck with a CVT.

Under the hood sits a 2.5-liter four-banger that delivers 188 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque. While the output does come a bit higher that what you get in the K5, the Altime delivers pretty impressive fuel economy. It falls 1 mpg short in the city, but offers the best highway economy at 39 mpg. It’s combined rating is 32 mpg, which make sit equal to the K5 and one point ahead of the Accord. Interior materials are decent and one could even argue that there’s some GT-R DNA hidden away inside, but it still seems as if the K5 excels just a bit in terms of materials, fit and finish, and technology. Pricing for the Altima starts out at $24,250 and climbs to $34,150 for the range-topping Platinum trim.