The pinnacle hot hatch in Toyota’s portfolio, the GR Corolla is now offered with an automatic transmission … and this model has now been unleashed on local shores. Here’s what you can expect, including pricing and specs…
It’s officially here, folks — the Toyota GR Corolla automatic has touched down on South African shores! Offered alongside the refreshed six-speed manual variant, the eight-speed automatic-equipped GR Corolla employs the Japanese automaker’s 1.6-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine.
As a reminder, with a 2024 update, the turbo-triple received a boost in power and torque, to 210 kW and 400 N.m. Delivered to the road via the firm’s GR-Four all-wheel-drive system, peak power output is available from 6 500 r/min, while the full complement of twisting force is on tap from 3 250 r/min to 4 600 r/min in the rev band. Toyota quotes a stop speed of 230 km/h.
How much does the Toyota GR Corolla automatic cost in South Africa?
Equipped with Toyota’s newly developed GR Direct Automatic Transmission (DAT), the GR Corolla is priced from R1 010 700 — the latter signifying a R25 500 premium over the six-speed manual derivative, which is priced from R985 200. As standard, the price includes a nine services/90 000 km service plan and a warranty spanning three years or 100 000 km.
In addition to the GR-tuned suspension and standard-fitment front and rear Torsen limited-slip differentials that are also found on the manual derivative, the DAT-equipped GR Corolla gains an air-cooled transmission fluid cooler and extra sub-radiator. Further enhancing thermal efficiency, this model also adopts a newly integrated cool-air duct.
Standard specification includes an Apple CarPlay/Android Auto-enabled, 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a head-up display, and a wireless smartphone charger. A reverse-view camera system is also present. The GR Corolla features several standard-fitment advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as adaptive cruise control and Toyota’s Safety Sense suite.
The GR Corolla is available with the choice of four exterior colour options. This includes Midnight Red, Glacier White, Raven Black, and Fierce Red.