Sporty meets sustainable: the new Toyota Corolla Cross GR-S hybrid arrives in Mzansi

South Africa’s most popular SUV and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), the Toyota Corolla Cross, has received a few minor tweaks, but more significantly, the addition of the updated Corolla Cross GR-S.

Built locally at their plant in Prospection, Durban, the GR-S sits at the top of the Corolla Cross range, adding a sportier edge to its popular SUV.

GR styling

The updates are most obvious up front, with a black mesh grille, revised LED headlamps with sequential indicators and a reworked lower section giving the GR-S a more assertive look.

Along the sides, new 18-inch alloy wheels and subtle design changes sharpen the profile, while the rear gets updated lighting, a sculpted skid plate and black badging.

The GR-S is offered in three two-tone finishes, with a black roof paired to glacier white, chromium silver or Arizona red.

Cabin upgrade

Toyota has introduced a revised centre console across the range, with the GR-S adding black leather upholstery with red stitching, GR branding, red seatbelts and aluminium pedals.

A 10.1-inch infotainment system and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster (on XR and GR-S grades) dominate the interior with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Toyota has also improved Bluetooth connectivity and enhanced the user interface for a smoother, more intuitive experience, and it showed during our launch drive with quick connection and ease of use.

There’s also a 360-degree camera, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and a powered tailgate with a kick sensor.

Same powertrains

The GR-S range continues with Toyota’s established 1.8-litre petrol and hybrid powertrains.

The naturally aspirated 1.8-litre petrol engine produces 103kW and 172Nm, driving the front wheels via a CVT transmission with paddle shifters fitted to the GR-S petrol derivative.

The hybrid combines a 1.8-litre petrol engine with an electric motor, delivering a combined system output of 90kW. As with the rest of the Corolla Cross hybrid range, it uses an e-CVT transmission.

The suspension on the GR-S has also been revised to improve handling without compromising ride comfort.

Driving

During the launch, we drove a short route from Toyota Gazoo Racing headquarters at Zwartkops through Pretoria’s Eastern suburbs that included some highway driving.

It’s exactly the circumstances that the Corolla Cross would experience daily, and it’s understandable why it’s a local favourite.

Everything about the car sits just right, and the cosmetic interior additions do much to enhance the look and feel.

There’s a bit of engine whine with hard acceleration while the CVT does its thing, but there’s enough power on both variants to pass slower traffic or aim for a gap, as we discovered on a truck-congested left lane. 

There weren’t any twisty roads on the route, but from previous experience, the Corolla Cross is actually not bad when it comes to being flung around.

Of course, that’s not its intention, and the GR-Sport uses the same powertrain as the rest of the offerings, so don’t expect explosive reactions. There’s enough there, though, to make it an entertaining drive with fair steering feedback.

Our consumption in the GR-S stood at 6.9l/100km while the GR-S HEV returned figures of 4.9l/100km.

All models are sold with a six-services/90,000km service plan and a three-year/100,000km warranty, while the hybrid battery is covered for eight years or 160,000km.

Pricing

• Corolla Cross 1.8 Xi: R420 700.
• Corolla Cross 1.8 XS: R458 400.
• Corolla Cross 1.8 XR: R508 200.
• Corolla Cross 1.8 XS HEV: R501 100.
• Corolla Cross 1.8 XR HEV: R552 400.
• Corolla Cross 1.8 GR-S: R527 000.
• Corolla Cross 1.8 GR-S HEV: R569 700.