It's been a while since the humble Corolla has had any true performance credentials to brag about. If you're only able to think back as far as the RunX RSi then we encourage you to dive a little deeper into the rich Corolla history.
Interior & Space
Trace things back to before the RunX RSi, and you’ll find several versions of the world’s best-selling passenger car emblazoned with the hallowed RSi moniker. Dig even deeper, and you will track down the rich racing history of the AE86 version of the Corolla, the same vehicle that was immortalized in the Japanese anime series, InitialD, and that is a spiritual successor to the Toyota GT and GR86 sports cars. The Corolla, though, is the original platform for Toyota’s production car racing efforts, both on and off-road, and the GR Corolla makes no bones about its heritage.
The GR Corolla is the 4th, dedicated, high-performance offering to be offered in South Africa from the Gazoo Racing (GR) stable. It joins the aforementioned GR86, GR Supra, and GR Yaris, rounding off the ensemble (for now). It’s not to be confused with the GR Sport offerings, which only see minor suspension and styling tweaks and no performance enhancements; no, the GR Corolla is a turbocharged, all-wheel-drive hooligan machine to rival the likes of the Volkswagen Golf R, BMW M135i xDrive, Audi S3, and Mercedes-AMG A35.
Styling
Visually, the GR Corolla still resembles the regular Corolla hatch you can buy, but something will feel a little off when you see it. That’s because the GR Corolla is actually large in most regards than the one you’re accustomed to seeing. The whole car is 35 mm longer and 10 mm lower, but it’s the wider track and body that gives it its purposeful stance. Widened by 20 mm in front and 60 mm in the rear, the wheels are also pushed out wider than in the regular Corolla by 60 mm in front and a substantial 90 mm at the rear.
The front end is also altered significantly with a bespoke front end that features the GR Matrix grille, LED headlights and a large air dam in the front bumper. Alongside those, front vents feed air curtains to reduce aerodynamic drag while the underbody is flattened out and covered to further improve road holding and reduce power-sapping drag.
Circuit models can be distinguished by the two vents in the bonnet that help extract hot air from the engine bay. All of the Gr Corolla models are fitted with lightweight, 18-inch Enkei alloy wheels that are shod with Yokohama Advan tyres in a 235/40R18 size. Behind them, you will spot the GR monoblock brake calipers, painted in a sporty red finish.
Toyota GR Corolla Colours and Price
Space & Interior
If there’s one criticism that’s worth leveling at the GR Corolla, and just about all the Gr products, that is, is that their interiors don’t particularly match the price tag. When you spend this sort of money on a car, you’re expecting a little more in the way of features, trims and design. That’s not to say that the Gr Corolla is poorly trimmed, you were possibly just hoping for more.
You do get a GR 3-spoke, leather-bound steering wheel that is complemented by a leather handbrake and gear shift gaiter, all dressed up with some contrasting silver stitching. Both the door cards and dashboard are leather touch affairs with gloss black trimmings. The centre console is slightly redesigned to accommodate the GR-Four selector. GR bucket seats hold you in place and are finished in an BRIN-NAUB suede material with leather.
Interior space is ample, and you will get a small boot that only measures in at 213 litres. This is considerably smaller than what you get from the competition, but one has to remember that the GR Corolla is not about the convenience and trimmings; it’s about the way that to performs. It’s a driver’s car, first and foremost.
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Comfort & Convenience
While the trimmings may not rival that of the competition, there’s still sufficient tech features to ensure that you don’t feel shortchanged. The 7-inch touchscreen is a little on the smaller side and has a simplistic user interface, but it has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality with a multifunction steering wheel. Dual-zone climate control keeps you cool and this is one of Toyota’s lightweight units, similar to what you will find on the GR Yaris.
The big upgrade is to the driver display system, which uses a 12.3-inch digital display. The layout of the graphic centre around the central tachometer with performance and trip info nestled on either side. Switch it to sport mode and the layout changes, giving you a bar graph instead of the circular tachometer for more precise shift timing.
The ride is rather firm though and if you’re thinking that you’re going to get a smooth ride from the GR Corolla, you won’t. The dampers are set in their stiffness, and while this provides great handling characteristics, it comes at the price of comfort. It’s not jarring and many enthusiasts will be able to live with this aspect of the Corolla.
Performance
It’s here where the GR Corolla truly shines. Powered by a revised version of the 1.6-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged engine that one finds in the GR Yaris, the GR Corolla produces 221 kW at 6500 RPM and 360 Nm from 3000-5550 RPM. This is thanks due to the enhancements in the intake ports, injection spray pattern, cooling system, and piston design. This power is sent to all four wheel through the lightweight GR-Four all-wheel-drive system and a 6-speed manual gearbox. While it feels somewhat flimsy and fragile, it seems to handle the abuse just fine. While Toyota hasn’t published acceleration figures, local test have shown the GR Corolla to do a sub-6-second 0-100 km/h time and a top speed is quoted as 230 km/h.
But that’s not what the GR Corolla is actually about. Thrown it into a corner and you will revel in the levels of grip and traction made available to you. Suddenly the stiff suspension and interior trimmings no longer matter and all that you can focus on is the next corner. You’re able to carry considerably more speed than you think and a skilled hand will be able to dial back the ESC settings to get the GR Corolla to rotate and turn like a housefly.
You soon realize that the chassis has far more to give than the engine can provide, and therein lies the reason why the drivetrain feels ‘flimsy’; it’s simply overshadowed by the robust engineering that you find in the heavily revised suspension. The chassis feels like it can handle considerably more power and still be able to shrug it off.
Fuel Economy
Toyota claims that you should see 8.4 l/100km from the GR Corolla, but we’ll be perfectly Frank – you’ll never see that. You will be too tempted to squeeze the throttle and feel the surge of power as you rev the engine out, barreling into the next corner. Fuel consumption is something best ignored in the GR Corolla.
Safety
There’s no point in being able to go this fast if you’re not at least somewhat safeguarded against injury (or worse). The GR Corolla has a comprehensive array of driver assistance systems as part of the Toyota Safety Sense package that includes emergency steering and lane keep assist, and active cruise control.
You get no fewer than 7 airbags in the GR Corolla along with the usual array of ABS, EBD, ESC, parking sensors and reverse camera.
Price
There are two models to choose from; the Core and the Circuit. The GR Corolla is available in limited numbers and orders will need to be placed with your nearest Toyota dealership. All GR Corollas are sold with a 9-service/90 000 km service plan and a 3-year/100 000 km warranty
| Model | Price (incl. VAT) |
| Toyota GR Corolla 1.6T GR-Four Core | R841 000 |
| Toyota GR Corolla 1.6T GR-Four Circuit | R902 400 |
2023 GR Corolla pricing revealed!
Competitors
If you have similar money to spend, you should also be looking at the BMW M135i xDrive, Mercedes-AMG A35, Volkswagen Golf R, and Audi S3. If you don’t have to have the all-wheel-drive capabilities then the likes of the Renault Megane RS 300 Trophy and Hyundai i30N come into play. A MINI Cooper JCW isn’t a terrible call either at this price point.
Verdict
Nearing the R1 000 000 mark, the Toyota GR Corolla is an enthusiasts-only offering. It’s the car for those who can appreciate the engineering and aren’t too fussed about the prestige of the badge that it wears. The GR Yaris feels more agile and nimble while the Corolla feels a little more grown up. The trimmings are better as is the space but all of these are inconsequential when one grabs it by the scruff of its neck and wrestles it around.
Keyword: Toyota GR Corolla 1.6T GR-Four Circuit (2023) review - A rally car in your driveway