On track in possibly the wildest Toyota ever built
- How much does the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition cost?
- What equipment comes with the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition?
- How safe is the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition?
- What powers the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition?
- How fuel-efficient is the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition?
- What is the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition like to drive?
- What is the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition like inside?
- Should I buy a Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition?
An 80 grand Corolla? Yep. But the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition isn’t your grandma’s Corolla. In fact, it’s the exact opposite: a stripped-out, two-seat, track-honed hot hatch built in honour of Toyota’s chairman and former CEO, Akio Toyoda, who successfully injected some excitement back into the successful but stagnant brand. So is it a fitting tribute, or a cheeky attempt to charge more for less?
How much does the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition cost?
As mentioned in the introduction, the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition isn’t cheap. At $77,800 plus on-road costs, it’s a cool $15,500 more than the standard GR Corolla GTS on which it is based.
It’s a far cry from the Toyota Corolla Sportivo of 20 years ago and its $29,990 (plus ORCs) sticker, but then the two have essentially nothing in common bar four wheels and the badge.
One thing the price tag buys you is exclusivity, as just 25 examples of the Morizo Edition are confirmed to come to Australia. More could potentially arrive down the track, but Toyota can’t promise it’ll secure any more and it’ll be tiny numbers regardless.
Rivals are few and far between in the new-car sphere. The forthcoming Volkswagen Golf R 20 Years is similarly exclusive, similarly expensive at $77,490 plus ORCs and similarly all-wheel drive, though not as focused.
If you’re happy to sacrifice all-wheel drive you might secure one of the final Renault Sport Megane Ultimes (from $67,500 plus ORCs) or the Honda Civic Type R ($72,600 drive-away) but again, there hasn’t been a hot hatch this focused since the Renault Sport Megane RS Trophy-R.
Despite its focus, Toyota still offers the full five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with seven years of powertrain coverage and capped price servicing covering the first six visits at $300, which are required every six months or 10,000km.
What equipment comes with the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition?
The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition isn’t a car for those that like their creature comforts. Dual-zone climate control, heating for the seats and steering wheel, wireless phone charging, six of the standard car’s eight speakers, parking sensors, the rear wiper, sat-nav and the rear seats are all thrown in the bin in the name of saving weight.
All up, around 45kg has been saved (how much does sat-nav weigh?) but while Toyota taketh away with one hand, it giveth with the other.
Further weight has been saved by the forged BBS 18-inch rims and carbon-fibre roof, though some has also been added by 10mm wider tyres, which are now track-focused Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s, a pair of body braces in the back and a significant increase in the amount of body adhesive used – an extra six metres – to increase body rigidity.
The suede/leather seats have greater bolstering and suede replaces leather on the steering wheel, gearknob and handbrake.
Three colours are available: white, black and the matte grey that will set you back an extra $2500 (but does look very cool).
How safe is the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition?
There’s been no skimping of safety equipment in the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition and it features all the same gear as the regular GR Corolla, though the mechanical differences mean neither share the standard Corolla’s five-star ANCAP rating.
Nevertheless, the Morizo’s safety credentials are sound with seven airbags, auto-emergency braking, lane keep assist and departure warning, active cruise control, speed sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, Toyota Connected Services and a reversing camera.
What technology does the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition feature?
A few toys might have been deleted, but thankfully the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition still retains enough gear to be liveable, specifically the 8.0-inch touch-screen infotainment with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, though audiophiles will recoil in horror at the two-speaker stereo.
The 12.3-inch digital instrument display has also been retained with a choice of standard or ‘sport’ views as well as the head-up display.
What powers the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition?
The 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine in the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition is very similar to that in the standard GR Corolla and GR Yaris but has been tweaked to produce an extra 30Nm more torque, for maximum outputs of 221kW and 400Nm.
Of greater import are the changes to the gearing, with a taller first, shorter third (so the lower gears are stacked closer together) and shorter final drive ratios for better acceleration.
To illustrate the effects, the maximum speeds at 7000rpm in the standard GR Corolla are 59-94-137-181-228km/h in first to fifthh gear respectively, while the Morizo’s are 62-90-126-172-220km/h.
The claimed 0-100km/h time has only improved from 5.29sec to 5.21sec – one wonders how many attempts it took Toyota’s test drivers to nail such precise times – but rolling acceleration will be improved in every gear.
How fuel-efficient is the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition?
The shorter gearing does take a toll on the fuel economy of the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition but only by a relatively negligible amount, with claimed combined consumption rising from 8.4 to 8.6L/100km.
If the standard car is anything to go by it will be commendably frugal on a highway cruise, dropping into the low 6.0sec range, but equally exercise the performance and it will empty the 50-litre fuel tank in 200-250km.
What is the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition like to drive?
From the first turn of the steering wheel it’s clear that the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition is a different proposition to the standard car.
The weighting is similar – too much weight in Sport for this reviewer’s tastes, but it can be adjusted through the Custom drive mode – but the response is better, like all slack has been eliminated from the steering system.
The standard car isn’t exactly lackadaisical, but initially its steering can feel a touch slow; the Morizo has the same ratio, so the difference must be down to a combination of factors like tyres, lighter wheels and, more likely, geometry changes.
Whatever the reason, it provides great connection to what the tyres are doing and gives you instant confidence to push the car as hard as possible. And you can push the Morizo REALLY hard.
In isolation all the changes are relatively small but cumulatively they really improve the GR Corolla’s circuit performance. The lighter weight, stiffer body, new monotube dampers but, especially, the Cup 2 tyres means it hangs on tenaciously in corners from entry to exit.
You can place the car extremely precisely but this greater grip and precision hasn’t come at the expense of fun. A dab of the brakes and a flick of the steering still sends the rear-end arcing wide on corner entry and you can subtly adjust the car’s attitude throughout a corner using the accelerator.
Despite the adjustable all-wheel drive system the GR Corolla isn’t throttle-steerable – on a dry track at least – in the manner of an Audi RS 3 or even Ford Focus RS, but it doesn’t need to be to put a smile on your face.
From a standstill the shorter gearing is noticeable as it rips through the first three ratios, but at track speeds – Broadford was third, fourth and fifth and most circuits would be similar – it’s less apparent, but the Morizo is still plenty quick.
It’s a common refrain now but it’s worth mentioning again: the three-cylinder turbo engine in the GR Corolla/Yaris is an incredible piece of kit. From its power and response you’d swear it was at least a litre bigger in capacity with an extra cylinder to boot.
With no road drive we’ll have to guess at the Morizo’s road manners but there’s no reason it will be substantially different to the regular GR Corolla.
A little noisier, perhaps, thanks to the lesser sound deadening, no rear seat and stickier tyres, but the way it dealt with Broadford’s surprisingly bumpy back straight suggests it’ll be firm but fair.
In a performance application the suspension set-up is fantastic. Some previous cars we drove at Broadford have hopped and bounced over these bumps but the Morizo is unperturbed, recovering instantly.
The difference between the standard GR Corolla and the Morizo Edition is analogous to the difference between a 911 Carrera S and a GT3. It’s recognisably based on the standard car, but everything is that little bit more precise and controlled, like it’s been to a two-week intensive boot camp.
What is the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition like inside?
As mentioned earlier, the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition isn’t a car for those who like luxury. It has a plain cabin and, though the seats are excellent and the suede touchpoints feel good, functional is probably the best way to describe it.
While the deletion of the rear seats limits the Morizo’s passenger-carrying potential to one, the rear braces have been arranged in such a manner that they form a handy tyre rack, the GR Corolla being just wide enough to accommodate a full set of wheels and tyres, handy if you want to save the Cup 2s for the track and use more wet-weather friendly – and less expensive! – rubber day-to-day.
The lack of rear seats also has the effect of giving the Morizo a massive luggage area, which is handy when the standard Corolla’s boot is a paltry 229 litres. So maybe it isn’t so impractical after all?
Should I buy a Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition?
The question won’t be so much whether you should buy a 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition, but whether you’ll be able to. The market for track-focused, two-seat, five-door hatchbacks isn’t large, but it’s a lot bigger than 25 cars.
As such, you’re going to need to have a pretty good relationship with a Toyota dealer to get your hands on one. But, if you can, you definitely should. It’s a special car, from the absurdity of the specification to the care and attention that’s clearly been devoted to its development.
The only caveat to that is if you do buy one, drive it hard and drive it often, because that’s what it’s been designed for.
2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition at a glance:
Price: $77,800 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 221kW/400Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 8.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 196g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested
Keyword: Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition 2023 Review