GR riskiness but a bit more stability and space?
So how does the Toyota GR Corolla fit into our world? Very quickly and very happily as it turns out. The GR Corolla is an all-wheel drive four-door with a 1.6 liter, turbocharged engine, and it is engine only. No hybrid. It can be had with either an eight-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual. And the GR FOUR all-wheel drive system comes from development with the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team.
The tuned engine puts out 300 horsepower and 400 Nm to the wheels and that power can be adjusted depending on how you choose the modes. This can be done via a selector near the shift knob, which gives you settings for what they call normal or gravel or track. Normal is skewed at 60:40 to a front-wheel drive system. Gravel is all four wheels get the same amount, so 50/50. Track moves it to where it can go as far back as 30:70 skewed towards the rear but continuously adjusts itself as far forward as 60:40, depending on what the driver is demanding and what the car itself feels.
If you look at this car, it’s a longer wheelbase and a bit heavier than the car we are more familiar with, which is the GR Yaris. They both use the same engine and produce the same power, but the weight advantage is to the Yaris. The GR Corolla is a bit more stable at speed and this can be noticeable from around 80 kilometers up as we tested at the Clark International Speedway, and also previously on the roads near Pasadena for the World Car Awards testing sessions. On the road, it is a clearly sport-focused vehicle, and obviously on the firm side. While it is a bit less twitchy than the GR Yaris, it is still quite frisky. On the back curves of the Clarke International Speedway, which if you set up correctly you can take flat out, course correction can have you shifting the car weight a little bit. So it is definitely a car that demands attention if you’re going drive it hard.
It does, however, have four doors and it’s rated for five people, so much more usable than the GR Yaris. It’s hugely fun to drive and with the legendary Toyota reliability and support, it’s almost a no-brainer. Although we see the GR Yaris around town a fair amount now, it’s really not used as an everyday driver. It would be more the GR Corolla that fits that bill.
