The GR fest, which alternates between Highlands and Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, saw a range of Toyotas both old and new on display with some passionate fans making the journey down from the North Island.
Toyota New Zealand puts a lot into motorsport in this country and the festival is said to be the largest one-make meet in Aotearoa. Anyone with a Toyota is allowed to attend for free but if you wish to take part in the gymkhana or get out on track, that’s an extra cost. Even those with an off-road bent are catered for, which on the weekend meant a trek through private stations on the Eastern side of Cardrona Valley to take full advantage of the stunning scenery. Along with all the enthusiast cars on display, Toyota NZ had a few of its new toys to show off including a special edition 10th anniversary GR 86. Only 10 will be offered here in a brilliant solar orange colour retailing at $59,990. It also features special details like embroidered 10th-anniversary logos and matching orange stitching. The other vehicle making a public debut was the new Hilux GR Sport. Toyota plans to sell 500 of these in NZ with pricing for the Hulix GR Sport yet to be announced.
And finally, festival attendees got to see the new GR Corolla; the all-wheel drive, widebody hatch with the engine from the GR Yaris, a wee rocket which won our 2020 Performance car of the year award.
The GR Corolla gets a 21kW power boost over the Yaris making a total of 221kW with 370Nm of torque made at 3000-5500rpm. Despite an increase of 213kg over the GR Yaris, the hot hatch has improved even further on the already very special recipe of the GR Yaris.
Priced at $74,990 The GR Corolla is priced right up against other serious hot hatch rivals like the Honda Civic Type R ($69,000), Volkswagen Golf R ($79,990), and Renault Magane RS ($67,990).
Visually the Corolla looks aggressive, with the pumped-up front arches with rear vents to evacuate air from the wheel housing. The flared rear guards finish in a similar, 90-degree curve as the rally-inspired GR Yaris. The front bumper is also visually related to the Yaris with a large rectangular grille in gloss black with GR badging. On the bonnet, you get functional black vents as well as a power bulge. At the rear is a large piano black diffuser with three exhausts (the extra one helping ease back pressure). Wide side skirts feature the GR-Four logo, a throwback to old Celicas of the 90s and look very cool.
The Corolla sits on 18×8.5 lightweight Enkei alloy wheels shod in Yokohama ADVAN Apex V601A which performs very well on track being almost a semi-slick style performance tyre.
Like the GR Yaris, the Corolla gets a forged carbon roof to keep top-heavy weight down. However, it doesn’t get the fake carbon wrap, instead leaving the real carbon exposed, an improvement some GR Yaris owners have elected to do themselves.
Front Brakes are four-pot aluminium monoblocks in bright red with GR logos and a two-piece slotted 356mm ventilated disc. The rear brakes are twin-pot aluminium monoblocks also with a slotted ventilated disc.
Getting into the Corolla, you immediately notice the improved seating position over the Yaris, even though the seats are shared between the two GR models. The Corolla benefits from the larger platform of the E210 Corolla giving you a more hunkered-down seating position, while the six-speed manual shifter feels tight. The interior is not as premium as a Golf R, but you get a nice heated leather GR steering wheel and more soft-touch areas over the regular Corolla. The GR sports seats are heated and manually adjustable. Other GR details include a push-button starter and GR carpet floor mats.
The touch screen is easy to use though it has a large bezel around it. It would look better if the screen itself went right to the edge. The 12.3-inch display behind the wheel is more like it, with plenty of customisation, all controlled by easy-to-use buttons on the wheel. Volume and dual-zone climate controls all get real buttons and dials, and no annoying haptic controls to be found.
There’s decent storage too with bottle holders in the doors and two cup holders that sit beside the (real) handbrake. There is no centre armrest, possibly a reminder this hot hatch wants to be driven and to keep your elbow free of obstructions when making gearshifts.
Behind said shifter is the GR-Four all-wheel drive controller which adjusts the bias of the four-wheel-drive system: Normal 60:40, Sport 30:70, Track 50:50. Under the dash is a wireless phone charger, a USB-C port, and the drive mode selector which includes Eco, Normal, Sport, and Custom.
Rear seat space is basically the same as other Corollas in the range, bottle holders feature in the doors and cupholders in the rear centre drop-down armrest, there are no air vents for rear passengers but the rear seat windows do travel all the way down.
Rear boot space isn’t the best, coming in at 213 litres it’s 4L less than others in the Corolla range and to save weight there is no spare tyre while the battery has been moved to the rear to improve weight distribution. You can drop down the rear seats creating a large flat area as shown below.
The GR Corolla gets the same G16E-GTS 1.6 litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine as the GR Yaris, but here it produces 221kW at 6500rpm and 370Nm at 3000-5500rpm. To produce more power, Toyota uses a different alloy for the pistons, it has larger exhaust valves and stiffer valve springs. A ball-bearing turbo produces 10 per cent more boost and there is a higher-capacity oil cooler. The GR Corolla also gets a third central exhaust pipe to alleviate back pressure helping the handbuilt mill to produce 100 horsepower per cylinder. It’s only available hooked up to the i-MT six-speed manual transmission.
The Corolla gets the GR-Four permanent all-wheel drive system with front and rear Torsen limited slip differentials. The chassis is stiffer with more weld points and structural adhesive.
The suspension features upgraded springs, dampers, and stabilizer bars with MacPherson front and double-wishbone rear suspension. The ride is firm but very forgiving and comfortable. Kerb weight is 1480kg, 213kg heavier than a GR Yaris. There are lighter versions available like the Morizo Edition at 1440kg but this is not bound for our shores and forgoes the rear seats.
The 0-100km/h sprint takes a claimed 5.29sec while the combined fuel consumption is 9.4L/100km with CO2 emissions at 213g/km. It carries a CCD fee of $1552.50
We set off from Queenstown in a convoy of GR Toyotas towards Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell and had plenty of time in the hot hatch and other GR offerings like the GR Supra, GR 86, GR Yaris, and the Yaris Cross GR Sport both on road and on track.
Check out our full review of just how good the GR Corolla drives in the upcoming May issue of NZ autocar magazine.
GR Corolla Specification
Colours available
| Model | Toyota GR Corolla |
| Price | $74,990 |
| Clean Car Discount | Fee + $1,552.50 |
| Engine | 1618cc, IL3, T, DI |
| Power/Torque | 221kW/370Nm |
| Drivetrain | 6-speed manual, AWD |
| Fuel Use | 9.4L/100km |
| C02 Output | 213g/km |
| 0-100km/h | 5.29sec |
| 80-120km/h | N/A |
| 100-0km/h | N/A |
| Stability systems | ABS, ESP, TV |
| Safety | AEB, ACC, BSM, LDW, RCTA, ALK, AHB |
| Luggage Capacity | 213L |
| Tow rating | Not rated to tow |
| Service intervals | N/A |
| Scheduled servicing | 4 years/60,000km |
| Warranty | 3 years/100,000km |
| ANCAP rating | Not yet rated |
| Weight | 1480kg (claimed) |
