Toyota's Corolla GR steps onto Mzansi hot-hatch stage

We love the Toyota Yaris GR, it's an exciting and punchy little hot hatch, which appreciates the art of driving. Upon its release in 2021, I was disappointed to hear that we weren't going to receive the Corolla GR, as its wider and lower body, aggressive angles and 3 tailpipes had me sold already. To our relief, Toyota SA has had a change of heart and has brought the Corolla GR to South Africa. 

The exterior of the Corolla is eye-catching to say the least, providing you with a menacing black front grill, black hood vents, raw carbon fiber roof, three tailpipes and boisterous enough styling to impress any enthusiast and I love how it looks. Its widened fenders provide a more planted appearance with a clear design focus coming from

the racetrack.

The interior, although plain, makes sense. It closely resembles the interior of the standard Corolla. The dash is fitted with a 12.3” display which supports your creature comforts and musical needs. The driver's display is designed for quick and efficient information feedback, which keeps you completely aware of your engine's behaviour during more dynamic driving.

A few extras in the cabin which come with the GR Corolla include a driving mode toggle and the torque distributor switch allowing you to send power to the front or rear wheels depending on your preference. You are also provided with supportive and comfortable bucket seats.

The torque distributor switch is a useful tool if used correctly. If you prefer front wheel torque, then 60:40 would assist that need. 50:50 accommodates those who enjoy a more balanced vehicle for better control. And if you prefer to drive looking out your side window, the 30:70 setup provides more power to the rear to help you achieve the drift you need to impress your friends. If you prefer the good old handbrake turn, the Corolla GR comes with a disconnecting rear axle, allowing you to pull the handbrake to initiate a slide without fear of breaking or stalling your motor and other components.

Now into the most important topic of the Corolla GR, its performance. I think we all expected the Corolla to be a pleasure to drive, but I wasn’t expecting just how composed it is on track. With an incredibly responsive steering and throttle input, paired with its wide 215/40R18 tyres, make cornering in this car a joyous experience, it is a point-and-shoot tool with plenty of grip. The engagement you feel when driving the Corolla is inspiring, as you must really be overzealous to lose control of this car.

It's quick too, with the same 1.6-litre inter-cooled turbo inline-3 engine as the Yaris, just slightly up-tuned to 221kW and 360Nm. The benchmark 0-100km/h sprint takes 5.3 seconds, which out of a three-cylinder, remains impressive. It comes with a 6-speed manual box which has a short throw and feels good in hand.

On the road I found the ride to be rather firm however it deals with the smaller bumps and rougher roads well. The only issue I can see with the Corolla is that it is loud. To most, this won't pose an issue but even the slightest throttle input will audibly feedback into the cabin with the rowdy roar of an inline 3 motor. The exhaust also doesn’t have a valve system so the sound remains whether you're in comfort or sport modes.   

With that being said, the three exhausts not only look particularly cool, but they do provide an aggressive yet pleasant sound. With the occasional crackle here and there.    

The Pricing for the Corolla GR starts at R841,000 for the Core model and R902,400 for the Circuit model. It is a fairly steep price but matches its competitor like the Golf 8 R at R912,800 and is a chalk-and-cheese difference in the driving experience. 

The Core model is still an impressive car but does lack a few features which the more technical drivers would prefer, like an LSD, raw carbon fibre roof, hood vents, a HUD, seat back pockets, gloss black radiator lower grille and suede and leather seats.

The Corolla GR is a driver-focussed proposition, with every second in the car being a thrilling experience, so long as you know what you’re doing. 

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