Taking centre stage at the GR reveal by UMW Toyota Motor this year was the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla. It is the GR Yaris’ bigger brother, and it is now officially available in Malaysia with a price tag of RM355,000.
Introduced to the world in April 2022, the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla is based on the hatchback Toyota Corolla, albeit with more extreme performance and a more aggressive exterior. Like all other GR models, it gets a distinctive GR front bumper and GR badges where necessary. The GR Corolla features bulging air outlets on the hood, 18-inch wheels wrapped in Yokohama Advan Apex tyres, and front & rear fenders which are 30 mm wider than the standard hatchback.
Powering the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla is an evolved GR Yaris engine that now makes more power thanks to improved engine exhaust efficiency. The 1.6-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged engine now packs 304 hp and 370 Nm. Paired with the three-banger is the same 6-speed intelligent manual transmission (iMT) found in the GR Yaris. Power is sent to all wheels via Toyota’s GR-FOUR all-wheel drive (AWD) system.
As for brakes, the GR Corolla gets 4-pot callipers in the front and 2-pot callipers in the rear. As for suspension, the GR Corolla gets a MacPherson strut setup in the front and a double wishbone setup at the back.
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On the inside, you may find the GR Corolla’s interior to be a little bit bland. Its relation to the Corolla Altis is obvious, as the dashboard layout is the same. The GR Corolla adds on a GR steering wheel, semi-bucket seats with red stitching and GR logos, a short-stroke shifter, and a hand-operated parking brake. The GR Corolla also gets a TFT digital instrument cluster which has been specially designed for Toyota’s GR models.
While the GR Corolla is a high-performance hatch made for enthusiasts, safety features are still top-notch as the GR Corolla gets the Toyota Safety Sense advanced driver assistance systems. Included in the RM355,000 price of the GR Corolla is a 5-year/unlimited mileage warranty.
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