Lowering The Seat Position In Your Toyota Yaris GR
Seat fitting guide
The Toyota GR Yaris is one of the most exciting hot hatches of its generation, with rally bred engineering and plenty of performance. The one complaint we hear again and again is the seat height. Many owners feel the factory seats sit too high, which makes the driving position upright and less connected than they want.
It is most noticeable for taller drivers short of headroom, especially with a helmet on at a track day. The fix we suggest is a Cobra Nogaro Circuit bucket seat on GR Yaris specific mounts, which puts you lower and holds you better. This guide explains why, and what you need.
- The main aim is a lower hip point and more headroom, especially with a helmet
- Our benchmark seat for the GR Yaris is the Cobra Nogaro Circuit
- The Nogaro is road and track approved, not FIA homologated
- Cobra's GR Yaris package pairs the seat with car specific steel side mounts
- Side mounting sits lowest; a Cobra subframe keeps a sliding runner
What is on this page
Solving the seat height problem
One of the best explanations we have seen is a video from Evolve Automotive about fixing the driving position in their own GR Yaris. It starts with a look round the Cobra factory, from cutting and sewing to embroidery and final assembly, then moves on to the Yaris and why the factory seats feel too high, especially for a tall driver.
It then shows a pair of Cobra Nogaro seats going in, with the fitting parts needed, and finishes with a drive. The lower position and the extra side support are obvious straight away.
Why lower the driving position?
For a tall driver, a lower seat means room to get comfortable, even with a helmet on. For track days, it means helmet clearance and a more direct posture, with your arms and legs set up properly to the wheel and pedals.
Sitting lower also changes how the car feels. You are closer to the floor, you feel more of what the chassis is doing, and a fixed back shell holds you in place through a long corner far better than a road seat.
Our benchmark: the Cobra Nogaro Circuit
The Nogaro has a slim shell and a low base that sits under the factory seat height, which is why it has become our benchmark for the GR Yaris. It fits without touching the door cards or the centre console, so no other changes are needed. In the builds we have seen there is about 20mm of room either side of the Nogaro at shoulder height, so there is a little space to go bigger, but not much. Our guide to the biggest bucket seat that fits a GR Yaris goes into that.
- Slim, one piece fibreglass shell with a low base
- Deep side and shoulder bolsters
- Harness slots through the shoulders
- Comfortable enough for daily driving and ready for track days
- Road and track approved, not FIA homologated
The Circuit is the version with harness slots. The otherwise identical Nogaro Street has none and is made for the standard seatbelt, so choose the Circuit if harnesses are the plan now or later. Trims include Amalfi with a Dinamica suede or tartan centre, or a one or two colour combination in Amalfi or leather, and heating and an inflatable lumbar support are options.
| Cobra Nogaro Circuit | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Overall height | 910mm |
| Shoulder width | 560mm |
| Base width | 490mm |
| Depth, front to back | 710mm |
| Weight | 7.9kg |
| Driver guide | 32 to 36 inch waist |
One thing to be clear on: a fibreglass shell is heavier than it looks, so this swap is about position and support, not weight saving.
Fitting equipment
The Nogaro is side mount only, so it needs mounts that suit the car. There are two routes on the GR Yaris.
Cobra GR Yaris steel side mounts. These bolt to the sides of the Cobra seat and connect to the Yaris’s own mounting points, so nothing is drilled or made up. They are FIA approved and give the lowest seat position, which is the point of the exercise.
Cobra GR Yaris direct fit subframe. This bolts to the original seat mounting points and includes a sliding runner in the price, so the seat still moves forwards and back. That suits a car shared between drivers of different heights, at the cost of a little height.
Which is right depends on whether the car is still used on the road and who drives it. Tell us the seat and the car and we will confirm the pairing before anything ships. Both routes are reversible, so the factory seats can go back in.
The GR Yaris package
To make it simple, Cobra lists a Nogaro Circuit GR Yaris package: the Nogaro Circuit seat with the black steel GR Yaris side mounts, specific to the car’s floor pick up points. You choose the trim and any heating or lumbar options when you order, and specify driver or passenger side.
Garreth’s advice is to send us your height and waist size before ordering, so we can check the Nogaro suits you as well as the car.
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Better driving with a lower position
The GR Yaris is already a great driver’s car, and a lower, more supportive seat makes it better. It fixes the seat height complaint, frees up headroom, and makes the car feel more connected.
With the right mounts it is a straightforward install with no permanent changes, whether you are a taller driver short of space or getting ready for track days with a helmet.
Why do people change the seats in a GR Yaris?
Mostly to sit lower. Many owners find the factory seats too high, especially taller drivers wearing a helmet.
Which bucket seat fits the GR Yaris?
The Cobra Nogaro Circuit is our benchmark. It fits without touching the door cards or centre console.
Is the Cobra Nogaro FIA approved?
No. It is a road and track seat, suited to fast road and track day use.
How does the Nogaro mount in a GR Yaris?
On Cobra GR Yaris steel side mounts to the car’s own mounting points, or on a Cobra direct fit subframe with a sliding runner.
Will a bucket seat save weight in a GR Yaris?
Not really. The fibreglass Nogaro weighs about 7.9kg, and the gain is position and support.
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Sitting too high?Send us your height and waist
We will check the Nogaro suits you and match the right GR Yaris mounts.
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