Toyota GR Sport: Accessible Driving Thrills For All!

Toyota is no stranger to the world of racing and motorsports, having competed across various disciplines - endurance racing and rally being key recent successes.

For the uninitiated, Japanese automaking giant Toyota is no stranger to the world of motorsports and racing. In fact, a good part of the automaker’s 88-year history was shaped by its racing exploits, and this is clearly evident through its GR Sport line-up.

In this feature, we will explore and briefly detail the GR Sport models currently offered by UMW Toyota Motor and why each ought to be seriously considered by anyone seeking a thrilling twist to their daily drives. But first, a quick introduction…

Borne from said racing exploits are the core Toyota GR performance models comprised of sports coupes like the GR86 and GR Supra, as well as rally-bred hot hatches like the GR Yaris and GR Corolla.

What Is GR Sport?

Seasoned fans would know that the ‘GR’ in ‘GR Sport’ stands for Gazoo Racing – Toyota’s dedicated motorsports and performance arm that was briefly led and shaped in recent years by company chairman and self-proclaimed driving enthusiast Akio Toyoda.

Besides endurance racing (Le Mans 24 Hours), rally (World Rally Championship – WRC) and rally raid (Dakar Rally), Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) is also active across both production-based GT (Super GT) and single-seater formula (Super Formula and F1) disciplines too.

Borne directly out of which are the banner’s core performance roadcars, namely sports coupes like the GR Supra and GR86, followed by rally-bred hot-hatches like the GR Yaris and GR Corolla. Below these is where you’ll find models bearing the GR Sport badge, and these stand as the entry point to the GR performance models noted.

Below said staple performance models come the more 'accessible' choices that bear the GR Sport badge, and each brings their own performance twist too.

Essentially, the GR Sport badge brings the best of Toyota’s racing and performance know-how into the mix. The twist here is that the resulting enhanced driving thrills comes without compromising comfort, practicality and, above all, reliability – core traits that their respective base models are renowned for.

More than just a sporty aesthetic makeover, the GR Sport badge’s treatment even brings enhancements towards the chassis and, in selected models, a powertrain tune-up. If this all sounds enticing, then pay attention as we give you a brief overview of what’s on offer.

Fancy a do-it-all, go-anywhere 'Trophy Truck'? Then you'd best consider the Toyota Hilux GR Sport!

Hilux GR Sport – The Daily ‘Trophy Truck’

Launched back in 2023, the GR Sport variant of Toyota’s venerable eighth-gen pick-up truck takes liberal inspiration from the world of rally raid to enhance its humble go-anywhere utilitarian roots with sharpened drive dynamics.

This is evident firstly through the 20 PS and 50 Nm bump endowed to its proven 2.8-litre 4-cyl turbo-diesel heart, which now outputs 224 PS and 550 Nm. Control over which is enhanced too thanks to the 6-speed automatic transmission’s steering-mounted paddle-shifters – this is the only variant of the Hilux to offer which.

Next, the GR Sport treatment also beefs up the Hilux’s chassis through the adoption of exclusive front monotube shock absorbers with a stiffer tune versus the standard hardware. This is paired with an equally stiffer rear leafspring setup, plus a specially calibrated electric-assisted power steering suite.

The GR Sport treatment endowed into the Hilux brings a peppier powertrain matched with a sharpened chassis, altogether resulting in a pick-truck that's quick and eager to carve corners with.

Combined, the enhanced powertrain and chassis tuning results in a 4x4 pick-up truck that’s much more agile through corners and more stable at high speeds. The bonus to this is the exclusive sporty aesthetic and styling endowed inside and out to match its newfound sporty drive mentioned.

Highlights of the latter consists of the variant-specific honeycomb front grille, sporty front bumper, blacked-out 18-inch alloy wheels, red-painted painted brake calipers, body-coloured flared wheel arch extensions, racy GR Sport decals across the doors and tailgate plus a distinct blacked-out flatbed sportbar.

The GR Sport treatment for the Hilux continues with special racy aesthetics both inside and out.

Next comes the cabin’s black leather-suede combination upholstery with red pipe-stitching, along with GR Sport emblems in the headrests, push-start button, keyfob, as well as a unique GR Sport start-up animation in the instrument bin’s digital multi-info display (MID) panel.

For fans of sporty pick-up trucks, the RM173,280 figure this performance range-topper rightfully commands is arguably quite a bargain too versus contemporaries – a fact sweetened further by the inclusion of a 5-year or 150,000 KM warranty coverage.

With the face-lifted Corolla Cross HEV GR Sport, the electrified crossover's practical, efficient and safe package is beefed up with a sharper chassis and styling to match.

Corolla Cross HEV GR Sport – The Sporty Family-Mover!

For the family-oriented racing fan, there’s the face-lifted 2025 Toyota Corolla Cross HEV GR Sport to consider. Like the Hilux GR Sport detailed prior, this sporty redux of Toyota’s staple electrified compact crossover SUV also takes cues from the off-road racing world.

Launched during KLIMS 2024, the GR Sport treatment in this lifted crossover offshoot of the Corolla nameplate gains chassis enhancements too in the form of stiffer sport-tuned spring and dampers, added performance chassis brace, as well as a ‘Sport ECU’ for its electric power steering (EPS) suite.

Coupled with exclusive two-tone 18-inch turbine-styled wheels, it all transforms this practical, safe and efficient crossover into a ‘soccer dad’s dream’ that will easily carve corners through B-roads on the weekends whilst still being able to perform the daily grind on weekdays.

VIsually, the GR Sport rendition of the Corolla Cross HEV is easily denoted thanks to its special two-tone exterior colourway, unique grille, lighting, as well as its turbine-styled rolling stock.

Mechanically, this crossover’s proven 1.8-litre 4-cyl petrol heart, augmented by two e-motors and compact Ni-MH battery pack, puts out a combined 122 PS and 163 Nm. From rest, the electrified half provides up to 72 PS for good acceleration whilst the e-CVT box paired with it ensures this crossover remains a smooth operator throughout.

As for style, this is covered well by this crossover’s exclusive two-tone exterior, sporty grille plus front and rear bumper combination, exclusive clear taillamps, as well as the blacked-out cabin upholstery motif complete with subtle GR Sport emblems embossed in the seats and adorned on the engine push-start button.

Despite its sharpened chassis, the Corolla Cross HEV GR Sport remains plush, practical and, above all, very safe on board. Note the more subtle GR Sport aesthetics treatment here too.

Despite its racy aspirations, this GR Sport rendition of the Corolla Cross HEV hasn’t forgotten its civil duties either. The presence of the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 (TSS 2.0) advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) package on top of core basics like airbags, ABS and ISOFIX childseat anchors, ensures which.

In short, this is a family runabout that’s geared up to rally across twisty B-roads without compromising daily practicality, safety and efficiency. At RM148,800, this sporty crossover’s premium is arguably justified, more so when you factor in the peace of mind stemming from the 5-year, unlimited mileage warranty that’s included.

The revamped 2025 Toyota Corolla GR Sport launched earlier is arguably a 'pure' sport sedan built for drivers thanks to its sharpened driveline and chassis combination.

Corolla GR Sport – The ‘Pure’ Sport Sedan

We saved perhaps the best for last, and it comes in the form of what’s arguably touted by many as a ‘pure’ sport sedan. Launched earlier this year, the revamped GR Sport twist to the twelfth-gen Corolla bridges the gap to its de-booted rally-bred ‘cousin’.

In this form, the Corolla GR Sport gains an ‘enhanced’ driveline to match its sharpened chassis. Unique from its stablemates is a sport-tuned 10-speed Sport Sequential Shiftmatic CVT gearbox promising smooth, lighting-fast shifts on top of optimum gearing through its added ‘Brake Downshifting’ and ‘Cornering Gear Fix Control’ functions.

All in, said new transmission provides better control over the Corolla’s proven 1.8-litre dual VVT-i 4-cyl petrol heart outputting 139 PS and 172 Nm. It also complements the sharpened EPS plus sport-tuned shocks and springs, all of which resulting in a sport sedan that’s both highly agile through the twists and very stable at high speeds.

The revamped Corolla GR Sport gains a much sharper bumper, exclusive clear taillamps, as well as blacked-out rolling stock and roof.

Matching its newfound sporty athleticism are the sublime GR Sport styling touches. This brings exclusive exterior traits like a black-painted roof, a more aggressive front bumper styling, added bootlid spoiler, exclusive darkened taillights and black-finished 18-inch rolling stock.

Continuing with style, the Corolla GR Sport sees its innards bolstered by GR Sport Design fronts seats wrapped in combination leather and suede, GR Sport emblems on steering wheel and engine push-start button, red pipe-stitching and seatbelts, as well as an upgraded 10-inch touchscreen infotainment.

The sporty affair continues on board with special touches like the GR Sport Design front seats, red seatbealts, and more.

Mind you, all this sporty touches come on top of core basics like this four-door’s offer of seating for five, TSS ADAS suite, airbags, ABS, ISOFIX child seat points, as well as an uber-practical 470-litre boot – the latter being one of this sport’s sedan’s key towards being a near-perfect daily.

Overall, this repackaged Corolla GR Sport certainly appeals to any avid upstart young urbanite who yearns for a daily driver that doubles up as both a stylish status symbol and thrilling weekend corner-carver. At RM149,800, that’s not only obtainable, there’s also a worry-free 5-year, unlimited mileage warranty to sweeten things too.

Between the three, which GR Sport model will be your pick?

Which Is Your Pick?

With what we’ve just detailed, which GR Sport model would be your pick? As usual, hit the comments below with your take!