It was hard not to reflect on a recent quote by Toyota’s CEO Koji Sato when settling in to pen this review; “A car is not a car if it’s not fun”. It would seem the executive had been reading the notes of the brand’s motorsport loving Chairman, Akio Toyoda.
You see, this writer has long likened the Corolla to the Labrador of the motoring world; cheerful, obedient, dependable. A week behind the heated steering wheel of the GR Corolla GTS proved that assumptions can be dangerous.
The nameplate isn’t new, but the subject of this review takes everything that was great about the platform and adds an 8-speed torque converter automatic gearbox, with a sprinkle more torque, upping outputs to 221kW and 400Nm.
The combination is far more Dobermann than Golden Retriever, but more on that later. Ours was finished in Liquid Mercury, one of four hues available. It’s the pick in our eyes, providing the perfect combination of sinister dark charcoal grey and metallic pop.
It really accentuates the angles and bulges around the body. Gloss black highlights feature across the Predator-esque front air dam (which now houses more radiators for improved cooling).
It continues across the various functional vents on the bonnet, bumper, quarter panels and the bob-tail rear spoiler. Aesthetics are a strong point, with 60mm of extra width in the guards, and gloss black 18-inch Enkei cast wheels.
The latter barely hides bright red 4-pot front calipers, and there’s also a carbon fibre reinforced plastic roof. The result is a menacing blend of form and function. Climbing into the interior for the first time reveals a functional workspace.
It is a little devoid of character. The heated leather and “Brin Naub” suede seats are manually adjustable, with improved bolstering that provides a prudent balance between comfort and support.
Sadly though, the hard plastics that would be okay in a base model remain evident in places. As expected, everything is logical and well laid out, with a combination of USB-C and wireless charging up front. There’s wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto.
You can control it all through an 8.0-inch touchscreen atop the console, which is also connected to an 8-speaker JBL sound system. The driver peers through the steering wheel at a 12.3-inch screen which changes based on the selected drive mode.
It provides a range of data including G-force and turbo boost. Interestingly, safety warnings will present on a head-up display which isn’t used for anything else, and we couldn’t help but feel this was a missed opportunity.
Being a five door means there are back seats, but they are quite tight; necessitating a front row adjustment to house the larger of our pre-teen kids in comfort. Storage was also a little lacking throughout.
The large front seats negate the centre console bin, leaving only the door pockets and glove box in the forward cabin. This means mass storage is relegated to the 213-litre boot. Big enough for basics, or you can fold the rear seats down if need be.
Hitting the start button fires up the diminutive 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine, which settles into a muted throb. It’s an interesting sound, particularly when standing near the triple functional exhaust tips.
Things can get a little droney at everyday speeds, but this changes when driving in anger. The internal valves open, allowing increased flow and sound. Releasing the manual handbrake is an endearing and nostalgic touch, harking back to a more mechanical time.
The same goes for pulling a gear lever down to “D”. Presenting in this model for the first time is an 8-speed convertor automatic that Toyota dubs as “DirectShift”. It’s a great thing, if not a little sluggish on take-off.
This is mitigated with a launch control function that can be used when appropriate. Once moving, it provides a pleasing mix of easy pottering and impressively manic up, and throttle-blipped downshifts.
ECO, Normal and Sport driving modes are available. Each sees a change in layout of the driver screen, but more importantly, calibrations to steering, throttle and transmission behaviour.
We spent most of our week in Sport mode, where response was stronger all around, likely the reason our as-tested fuel usage read 13.8-litres/100km, compared to a claimed 9.5-litres/100km.
The suspension proved to be a tad bumpy on pockmarked Sydney roads; but it was a welcomed trade-off once a piece of twisty tarmac appeared. This is where the Labrador morphs into a Dobermann, and the last canine reference will be made.
Sliding the gear lever to the right, pulling the left gear paddle once or twice and pointing the nose into a corner reveals a completely different personality. It’s a car that is just so dialed in, with sharp turn-in facilitated by a steering wheel that’s satisfyingly meaty.
It’s rich in feel, transmitting exactly what’s going on under those front Yokohama Advan Neova tyres. This super sticky rubber was an asset when it came to slowing things down too, with 4-spot calipers on 356mm slotted discs doing an admirable job.
The GR-FOUR AWD drivetrain can be set to three different bias’s front-to-rear using a rotary dial in the console; including 60:40, 30:70 or a 50:50 ratio. With tight, twisty mountain work on the menu, we chose the middle of these.
It dialed out much of the characteristic AWD push understeer on corner exit and even provided a playful wag of the tail when provoked on wet tarmac. Despite its capacity, the engine has a good dollop of low-down grunt.
Beyond 4000rpm is where it’s truly on song, ripping right out to redline until a bang of the transmission finds the next gear. Forward propulsion is the goal, but there’s no lack of aural drama in the process.
Between the metallic howl of the engine ingesting almost 2.0-bar of boost and the wastegate flutter at the closing of throttle, every sense gets a workout. Ultimately, the joy in driving the GR Corolla is the need to balance all inputs.
It possesses all the electrical aids but feels deliciously analogue. It requires measured engagement from the driver rather than a “point and shoot” approach, which seems to be characteristic of so many new performance vehicles nowadays.
It’s the sum of every part that makes it special and getting it all right is both seriously addictive and grin inducing. Some will baulk at paying $71,065 plus on-roads but for the entry fee you get a machine that combines reliability with tremendous capability.
More importantly, you can’t put a price on fun. To find out more, visit the Toyota Australia website or talk to your local dealership. To get a low rate finance quote, talk to Australia’s best reviewed car finance broker; Credit One.
To see a great range of vehicles for sale, check out OnlyCars.com.au.
Our test vehicle was provided by Toyota Australia for independent review purposes.
