At long last, the much-awaited 2023 Toyota GR86 has now officially made its debut in Malaysia. The rear-wheel drive, back to basics sports car will be offered in one variant but with two different transmission options, priced from RM295,000 on-the-road, without insurance.
On the mention of insurance, if you are looking to renew your motor insurance, be sure to check out www.motortakaful.com by Etiqa. By renewing online, you will be able to enjoy a 10% rebate on your insurance premium.
The Toyota GR86 is the sister car to the Subaru BRZ that is also now available in Malaysia. However, there are several differences to set the models apart, including a unique front bumper and radiator grille design, a slightly different daytime-running light signature, and even some mechanical changes underneath the sheet metal, which affects the way the car drives – more on this later.
For equipment, the 2023 Toyota GR86 comes equipped with LED exterior lighting as standard, alongside 18-inch black alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport tyres, and dual exhaust tailpipes at the rear.
ALSO READ: 2022 Subaru BRZ price up by RM20k in Malaysia for both manual and automatic variants
Underneath the 2023 Toyota GR86’s long bonnet is a 2.4-litre FA24 naturally-aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine, up from 2.0-litre from before, now making 237 hp and 250 Nm of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels only, and here in Malaysia, you’ll get to choose between either a six-speed manual transmission with a short-throw shifter, or a six-speed automatic gearbox with gearshift paddles behind the steering wheel.
The performance figures translate to a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 6.3 seconds, or roughly one second faster than its predecessor. And to maximise handling capability, the GR86 also comes with a limited-slip differential on the rear axle.
As for the aforementioned mechanical differences, Toyota has given the GR86 some special touches (over the BRZ) on its suspension, sway bar, chassis strengthening, and steering set-ups to give the two-door coupe sharper agility. This was reportedly the cause of its delay globally, as Toyota President Akio Toyoda thought it felt too much like the Subaru counterpart.
According to reports, this has helped the Toyota GR86 feel more playful than the BRZ – but we’ll have to try it for ourselves.
READ MORE: Toyota, Subaru celebrate 10 years of Hachiroku with limited-edition GR86 and BRZ models
Inside, the driver cockpit of the 2023 Toyota GR86 sticks true to its signature modus operandi, with a minimalist and driver-focused cabin design.
Highlights here include a meaty leather-wrapped steering wheel with GR branding, a seven-inch multi-info display with unique boxer-inspired animations, an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, dual-zone climate control, as well as leather and suede combination upholstery with red accents all around the cabin.
For weight saving, however, the seats only feature manual adjustments – six-way adjustability for the driver.
The 2023 Toyota GR86, specifically on the automatic variant, will come with the full range of advanced safety assistance systems as standard here in Malaysia, with features including autonomous emergency braking (front and rear), adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high beams, alongside seven airbags.
Pricing for the all-new 2023 Toyota GR86 in Malaysia starts from RM295,000 for the six-speed manual option, rising up to RM305,000 for the automatic car. Included in the price is a five-year unlimited-mileage warranty as standard. Buyers can choose from four exterior colour options: Ignition Red, Crystal White Pearl, Crystal Black Silica, and Magnetic Gray Metallic.
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