Test drive 2024 Toyota Corolla Touring GR: a wolf in sheep’s clothing

Toyota Corolla is classic, but this time in a new sporty look. To some, the Toyota Corolla sounds old fashioned and the car most grandparents drive. You have this generation completely wrong. Toyota has found a good balance between luxury, space and driving behavior with a sporty touch. Hopefully, after reading this test drive, you’ll get rid of the ‘dime a dozen’ comments right away.

What is the Toyota Corolla GR Sport Plus?

Toyota Corolla has been in production by the Japanese manufacturer since 1966. This is the best-selling Toyota in the world. Fifty millionth Corolla sold in 2021! In recent years, this model has also become the best-selling car in the world, with the Toyota RAV4 being number two. The reason for these amazing numbers lies in reliability, quality and space. Corolla is suitable for a wide audience, families and people who need a lot of space for their leisure things, for example.

If you want something more than space and reliability, this generation of Corolla has the GR Sport Plus version. We know the GR Sport line of course from the sports bomb called Yaris. But Toyota has also chosen a sporty touch for the Corolla. In addition to being seen, this is also clearly visible.

The powertrain of the Corolla GR Sport Plus is a 2.0-liter hybrid with a combined power of 196 hp. This gives you enough power to quickly merge onto the highway if necessary. During parking maneuvers or at constant speed, the drivetrain is electric. It is best not to release particles onto your own driveway or parking lot.

In practice, we arrive at a consumption of 5.5 liters per 100 kilometers, without using the eco mode. This is good for a car with an empty weight of 1415 kg. In theory, consumption should be 4.7 liters per 100 km, but that is under good conditions and then you have to watch your right foot closely.

All ingredients

Stations are cars with large trunks and ample space in the back seat. In this case, the same tests also apply to the Corolla. The trunk has 581 liters of cargo space. If you fold the rear seats forward, the total is about 1606 liters. The legroom in the back seat is more than enough, but tall people can touch the roof with the top of their heads. There is a rear part of the roof, which sacrifices the bedroom. This may be due to the large panoramic roof.

In addition to space, you also want luxury and comfort to stay. The leather front seats are comfortable, the side cushions ensure that you are not thrown from side to side during sporty driving. Red stitching can be found throughout the interior, including on the center console, on the seats and on the steering wheel. The dashboard is open and all the necessary buttons are on the steering wheel. With the cruise control button you can choose multiple routes. Dynamic cruise or not with speed limit.

How does the Toyota Corolla GR Sport Plus drive?

The Corolla is truly a blend between comfort and performance. If you choose eco or normal driving mode, you can enjoy the ride. The chassis takes bumps and unevenness well, even in urban areas. In addition, you can take turns at a suitable speed without losing the feeling of stability. If you want to increase the speed, you should choose the game mode. You can also set the gearbox to game mode. Automatic upshift happens only at high speeds. You can also shift manually when the gearbox is in sport mode, via the lever and paddles behind the steering wheel.

The engine sounds clear when accelerating, even without sport mode. This adds to the experience when driving in a sports mode, but is not very useful in other driving modes.

Strong

Driving comfort is very pleasant in the Corolla. You are sitting in a long car, while you can’t see anything. As mentioned before, the seats are comfortable and everything is available. The combination between this comfort and sportiness is the best part of this car. Typically, driver assistance systems contribute to driving comfort. We couldn’t find the Corolla engaging in unnecessary intervention or annoying autopilot behavior. It continues to drive beautifully in the middle of the lane and therefore does not have to correct much. The adaptive cruise control works well and doesn’t break the brakes suddenly, but it does measure speed well.

The main reason why customers choose the GR Sport Plus version is the performance. While your idea of ​​a Corolla doesn’t immediately relate to sports, that’s the starting point. The response to the gas is strong in sports mode and the Toyota continues to pull on it, without losing comfort. Do you need this? No, but it’s always fun!

Small points

Many things have been thought of, but the seat adjustment is still very common in this version. It is not electric, and with a lever under the seat you can move the seat forward and backward. You can change the sitting angle with the lever on the side of the seat. Electric seats should be standard on versions like the GR Sport Plus.

The touchscreen dominates the interior. You see this of course in a lot of cars, but the screen on the Corolla is way up high and seems stuck in the dashboard. This is distracting and also feels like a later addition to the existing interior. When you go back, the camera turns on for a better view. The picture quality is not good and the lines on the screen do not move. The front-facing camera and 360-degree camera are missing from the Corolla.

The heated seat can be set to two settings using a large switch, which is easy to operate but feels old-fashioned. These points reflect Toyota’s performance. It must be strong, anything that is not on it cannot be broken and you can live without it. In terms of camera quality, however, you have to keep up with the times.

Equipment

The test car is a Toyota Corolla Touring GR Sport Plus in the color of juniper Blue metallic. You get a head-up display, wireless charging, keyless entry, a power tailgate, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. The sound system has 8 JBL speakers. For the GR Sport Plus, the interior is always full leather with red stitching. Steering wheel heating is absent and cannot be configured.

The test car, with options, is priced at €48,285. If you don’t look up, you can leave the sliding/tilting roof. That will save you €1,295. If all that sounds too good, you can order a ‘regular’ Toyota Corolla Touring Sports from €35,795.

Conclusion Toyota Corolla GR Sport Plus

Do you basically want a reliable, economical and practical car? Then the Corolla will definitely be on the radar. With the GR Sport Plus you can take the kids to school, but you can also give them a little gas every now and then. Apart from the average quality of the reversing camera and the lack of power seat adjustment, this is a perfect car for many viewers. In fact, he is an all-rounder. Practicality, plenty of space, luxury and of course a sporty touch are the ingredients of the Toyota Corolla GR Sport Plus.