Toyota Corolla Cross GR Sport in Thailand this month

Following the Taiwan debut of the Toyota Corolla Cross GR Sport in September, the sportier-kitted crossover will be launched in Thailand just ahead of the Thailand International Motor Expo 2021 that commences December 1, 2021.

For Thailand, the Corolla Cross GR Sport will get an Atkinson-cycle 98 PS/142 Nm 2ZR-FXE petrol unit paired to a 72 PS/163 Nm electric motor for a total system output of 122 PS driving the front wheels through a CVT, according to Headlight Magazine. Taiwan additionally gets the 2ZR-FE 1.8 litre naturally aspirated petrol producing 140 PS and 172 Nm of torque, which is the engine for the Corolla Cross in Malaysia.

Visually, the Corolla Cross GR Sport is distinguished from its regular version by a different bumper design and a higher-mounted pair of fog lamps, with black trim and grille, the latter getting a mesh design that is also applied to the lower intake. The lower edges of the front and rear bumpers as well as side sills get a more rugged-looking set of metal-look trim, while a two-tone paint finish comes courtesy of a black roof.

Inside, a GR-branded visual on the nine-inch infotainment screen’s boot sequence reminds you what you are seated in, as will an engine start button and seat headrests with GR branding. There are mechanical revisions to go with the visual changes over the regular Corolla Cross, namely sports suspension (springs and dampers from the GR division) and a chassis reinforcement brace.

Equipment details for the Thailand-market Corolla Cross GR Sport will be forthcoming, though for reference the Taiwan model gets 18-inch alloys, halogen projector headlamps, keyless entry and start, Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, seven airbags and a surround-view monitor. Driver instrumentation includes a 4.2-inch multi-information display for the petrol and a seven-inch display for the hybrid variant.

In Taiwan, the internal combustion Toyota Corolla Cross GR Sport is priced at 875,000 New Taiwan dollars (RM131,094), while the hybrid costs buyers slightly more at 945,000 New Taiwan dollars (RM141,581). Meanwhile in Malaysia, the 2021 Corolla Cross gets two trim levels and one engine variant; at launch, the 1.8G was priced at RM124,000, while the higher-trim 1.8V was tagged at RM134,000, then revised to RM129,266 in June with the SST exemption.