Will the Toyota S-FR soon become a reality?

In recent years, Toyota has been serving up car enthusiasts with multiple treats to fill their need for speed, and the reception has been resoundingly positive. Toyota’s Gazoo Racing family of performance cars includes the GR86, the GR Yaris, the GR Corolla, and of course, the GR Supra. According to rumors floating around on the web, however, another car may join the GR lineup in the future, and it’s a car we’ve seen years before.

The car in question is the Toyota S-FR. This concept first appeared in 2015 and was a compact sports car with a front engine, rear-wheel drive, and a naturally-aspirated 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, designed to compete with entry-level Mazda MX-5 models.

Initially, production seemed almost certain, but eventually, the buzz faded after years of no new development and the project appeared to have been shelved. However, recent reports from Japanese magazine Best Car suggest it might be making a comeback. 

Reportedly, the revived S-FR is being co-developed with Suzuki and Daihatsu, the latter also being linked to the rumored Starlet revival. The Starlet is key to the S-FR’s development because it is said to feature a detuned, downsized version of the GR Yaris’ turbocharged three-cylinder engine, offering 148 bhp from a 1.3-liter unit. This same engine is expected to be used in the production of the S-FR as well.

Best Car’s report continues further saying the three companies plan to each release a model based on this platform: Toyota with the S-FR, Daihatsu with a new Copen, and Suzuki with a potential revival of the Cappuccino. The target curb weight for these models is reportedly 1100 kg. If this three-way collaboration feels familiar, remember that Toyota, Daihatsu, and Suzuki have been involved in numerous projects like this, the Daihatsu Hijet is a good example of such collaboration.

Nothing is confirmed just yet, but, If the S-FR reaches production, it is expected to go on sale in Japan in 2026 or 2027. While the S-FR as an actual production vehicle is yet to be seen, we’re holding out hope that Toyota will dive into the fun and affordable, compact rear-wheel drive car segment.

For now, you can check out Toyota’s local lineup as well as other brands available in the Philippine market on AutoDeal.com.ph. Shop for the car you like and hit the “Get Quote” button to start your car-buying journey with just one simple click.