Toyota South Africa offers some of the most exciting drivers cars on the local at the moment. That is not a sentence many would have considered a few years ago. The brand’s GR performance portfolio includes the GR Yaris, GR86 and GR Corolla. Soon, a halo sportscar will take its place at the top of the family tree (learn more here). An automatic Toyota GR Corolla has just been added to the local listings to widen the product’s appeal.
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Buy now and take advantage of free delivery in South Africa on orders over R349.
Turbo Triple
The automatic Toyota GR Corolla has the same 1,6-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine that is found in the smaller Yaris. Oddly, the G16E-GTS unit has been slightly detuned and now offers a maximum of 210 kW (as opposed to 221 kW before) whereas the peak torque figure has been raised by 40 N.m to 400 N.m. Those figures bring the smaller Yaris and the Corolla in line with respect to power and torque outputs.
Click here to read our GR Yaris driving review.
A six-speed manual transmission, for the purists, is the opening variant of the range. For those who prefer two pedals, there is now the option of an eight-speed automatic with paddle shifters and rev-matching. Both units are connected to a variable all-wheel-drive system. Toyota SA says the GR Corolla has a top speed of 230 km/h. Owners can expect a 0-to-100 km/h sprint time of around 5,0 seconds. But to judge this car by those stats misses the point entirely.
One Flavour
Toyota SA has done away with the two trim levels Core and Circuit. Instead, just the higher spec ‘Circuit’ version is offered with both transmission options. As a result there is very little difference between the manual and automatic in terms of the specification list. Standard items include dual-zone climate control, a heads-up display, wireless mobile phone charging, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist. Moving to just the ‘Circuit’ level means that both versions have limited-slip differentials (LSD) on both axles.
The revised range brings with it some updates as well. These includes removal of the front fog lamps for improved aerodynamic efficiency, a more powerful cooling fan, helper springs on both axles, and revised rear suspension geometry. In addition, the automatic derivative has an air-cooled automatic transmission fluid (ATF) cooler to keep ATF temps in check under hard use.
Toyota GR Corolla Pricing
Manual – R985 200
Circuit – R1 010 700
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