GR-S badge gives Toyota Corolla Cross hybrid attitude

The Toyota Corolla Cross is one of the most popular local passenger cars and the Gazoo Racinghas grown into a household name off the back of the carmaker’s success in the Dakar Rally. Marrying the two is probably the closest you can get to a match made in heaven.

After initially only applying the GR Sport (GR-S) treatment to the Corolla Cross’ non-hybrid 1.8-litre model, the hybrid version (HEV) now also features a GR-S model which is the line-up’s flagship offering.

But this comes with good news … and not such good news for the enthusiasts associating the GR-S badge with Dakar machines that goes “GRRRR” on television commercials.

Good in terms of differentiating it from a run-of-the-mill Corolla Cross. And not so good that it does not feature a power bump like the Toyota Hilux GR-S.

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Corolla Cross gets GR-S treatment

But not giving a Corolla Cross more power makes perfect sense. A hybrid powertrain is classified as a new energy vehicle which does its little bit in preserving Mother Earth.

As additional power will probably only increase its fuel consumption and carbon emissions, it will defeat the purpose of being a new energy vehicle in the first place.

So what does the Corolla Cross HEV GR-S get to justify the R15 500 premium over the R497 000 XR HEV derivative? Quite a lot actually.

The lion’s share of the GR-S features is found on the outside of the car. At the front, there is a revised grille design finished in gloss black along with a gloss black lower apron featuring the signature GR mesh and vertical air ducts incorporating compact fog lamp units.

At the rear the Corolla Cross HEV GR-S gets a black roof spoiler, black tailgate trim and rear diffuser clad in black.

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Corolla Cross with a twist

Further exterior enhancements include black 18-inch alloy wheels, black side mirrors and black roof rails to complement the black roof which forms part of a bi-tone colour combination.

Inside, there red contrast stitching adds a good degree of sportiness to the cabin along with the GR embossing on the front headrests.

Based on the XR derivate, the hybrid GR-S gets a host of creature comforts including reverse camera, park distance control, rain-sensing wipers and touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Safety comes in the form of the comprehensive Toyota Safety Sense system, which features all the latest tech you could ever wish for.

Improved driving dynamics

While the Corolla Cross HEV GR-S is not faster than its hybrid siblings, its driving dynamics have been improved.

These enhancements include a new power steering module for more responsive handling along with new shocks and revised coil springs.

The Corolla Cross HEV GR-S features the same powertrain that serves on the range’s other two hybrid derivatives.

A 1.8-litre petrol engine and electric motor combines to deliver total system output of 90 kW of power. The electric motor alone offers up to 53 kW and 163 Nm.

During the week we recently spend in the Corolla Cross HEV GR-S, we recorded fuel consumption of 5.7 litres per 100 km in predominantly city traffic.

We coincidentally achieve exactly the same number over the course of a 3 000 km cross country trip with the XR hybrid at the end of 2021.

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Conclusion

Right from day one, the Corolla Cross’ hybrid options have offered excellent value for money which is evident in the car’s local popularity.

As Toyota incentivises new energy derivatives of the locally-built Corolla Cross, they own this little piece of real estate in the local market.

Now, this offering is even more appealing by virtue of the GR-S badge and enhancements that doesn’t cost all that much more than the XR model. Expect Corolla Cross sales to soar even higher.

The Toyota Corolla Cross HEV GR-S costs R512 500 and is sold with a six-service/90 000 km service plan, three-year/100 000 km warranty and eight-year/195 000 km battery warranty.