Toyota GR Corolla - The First Drive with a Difference

Toyota is expanding their tasty GR range which now includes the long-awaited GR Corolla, and it’s a right-purty lil thang. Just the right amount of bash for cash, and arguably better value than the smaller GR Yaris sister.

There was a limited “Morizo” edition which inexplicably omited the rear seats (among other things) for weight savings, and has a single zone climate control system too, dear god. All this for a stunning $15,000 more than the standard GR Corolla GTS for $62,300. Despite the carbon fibre bits and 30Nm more, the 25-unit Morizo looking to appeal to the bloke who yearns for spicy track days, and has more dollars than sense. Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s previous chairman & CEO, knew people thought of Toyota as reliable but dull, and did all he could to change that view. The cracking GR Corolla kicks the “dull” moniker fair in the cobblers.

The GR brand is a master stroke of marketing, giving Toyota track cred where it counts, on the street where it will see most use.

As you know but now, our GR Corolla drive was struck down, deader than a dead dingo’s donger. The clutch died a painfully slow death on the Hume Highway enroute to our country test run.

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ABOVE: 2023 Toyota GR Corolla

Starting with grandma’s car is perhaps a strange spot to start that trip’s single step, but start it we did. GR Corolla has the best bits of the demure standard Corolla, and adds bracing, stiff suspension, AWD, and a host of delicious goodies that make the GR Corolla GTS a pucker proposition. Not only that, it had Casper eating his words after only a few bone-jarring kilometres. Whatever it is, GR Corolla is certainly not grandma’s car, unless grandma was Sibine Schmitz.

Outside:

18” wheels and a fat 1626mm rear end make GR Corolla look gym-fit, and subtle scoops and scallops add track-look face that quite frankly makes the standard car look a bit last year.

The GR badge might have an even meaner track rep were it not for the Hilux and Land Cruiser which also wear that brooch.

In short imagine, a standard corolla that’s been got at by modders, except these modders are in-house.

Inside:

“Firm”, is my word du jour. The racing seats have a surgically precise feel to them, even with the leather and suede trim. There is seat heating up front, but every time you put your phone in the Qi charger, you’ll knock one of the buttons. You won’t notice it until your bum reaches the toasty status of a medium-to-well-done crumpet.

Before we go another line, I want to get a lather-on about the stupendous JBL audio system. It is lovely, and rich, and deep, and every note is as clear as a cricket on a spring morning. I simply can’t abide car makers skimping on the bits that count, and instead, rabbit on about handling and performance. Sure, a quick step and confident steering is nice, but when standing still in traffic, you want good air conditioning, and a brilliant sound, right?

The Drive:

GR Corolla is a nippy little minx, and no mistake.

The AWD system can be fettled with a massive knob. Presumably size counts when it comes to knobs, especially those that can shuttle extra power to the front or back wheels to suit the driver’s mood. Similarly, a mode button changes modes, surprisingly enough.

GR Corolla is quick enough, at 5.29second 0-100, but the track suspension is what 2,500 buyers will be salivating at. Sophisticated double wishbones at the rear feel incredibly “real”, as one of my passengers said. It roughly translates as, “Christ on a cracker, do you have to find every single bloody pothole, you babbling ninny.” I agree with Casper, the ride is extremely firm, all the time. Unlike the Honda Type R with its fancy adaptive dampers, GR Corolla is a “what you feel is what you get,” kinda gal.

The sound is remarkably retrained, for a track car. The gear changes have a delightful feel, notchy without being obstinate. The 1.6 turbo 3-pot sounds like all 3-bangers do, permanently angry, and 221kw/270Nm is “sufficient” says Casper. Sadly, the clutch died before Casper got a steer. We’ll put that down to a faulty part until we find out otherwise. The manual transmission has an I-M button that turns on rev matching, but I can’t think why it doesn’t rev match all the time. The Type-R does this and it is a much nicer experience.

On the highway, there is that low-profile-tyre-hum we know and love. In many ways, it makes you feel alive and connected to the road. You feel each and every undulation, gentle or otherwise, whether you want to or not.

We loved the digital dash/HUD combo, and the centre screen complete with wireless CarPlay and wireless phone charging was icing on a cake.

There is a massive boy-racer feel which we adored, but agreed that it might get a little wearing on the nerves as a daily driver on Sydney’s cement roads. It would be rather like being in a demented barman’s cocktail shaker. That’s fine for track days, but we found ourselves looking forward to a comfy chair and a cocktail.

Conclusion:

We did enjoy the very-limited 80km experience, but it fell far short of our normal thorough seeing-to. A longer drive will get a better feel, but for now this is your lot. Meanwhile enjoy the Honda Civic Type-R road test.

GR Corolla

Price: $62,300

Engine: 1.6L turbo Petrol, 3-cyl (98ron)

Power: 221kw/370Nm

Trans: 6sp manual with intelligent mode (rev matching)

Econ: 8.4L/100k

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