2025 Toyota GR Corolla facelift in Malaysia – 300 PS/400 Nm 1.6T, still 6MT, 8AT coming later, RM367k

Aside from the facelifted GR Yaris, UMW Toyota Motor has also launched the new 2025 Toyota GR Corolla in Malaysia. The also-refreshed hot hatch gets much of the same performance upgrades as its smaller sibling, along with a revised exterior design.

First up the price, which has gone up by RM12,000 to RM367,000 on-the-road without insurance, meaning you pay over RM50,000 more than the GR Yaris for the added practicality of five doors and a larger body. As usual, this figure includes a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.

Power continues to come from the G16E-GTS 1.6 litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine. It’s been uprated slightly, and while power holds station at 300 PS at 6,500 rpm (4 PS lower than in international markets), peak torque has been boosted by 30 Nm to 400 Nm, made between 3,250 and 4,600 rpm. Those are the same figures as the GR Yaris, giving the two cars parity in performance for the first time.

Just like the GR Yaris, the facelifted GR Corolla launches without its headlining new feature – the eight-speed GR Direct Automatic Transmission (DAT), which promises optimum on-track performance. No official reason was given for the delay, but we imagine that global demand for the new gearbox has been so high that UMW Toyota Motor simply could not get an allocation in time for the car’s launch.

The upshot is that, for now at least, the GR Corolla soldiers on with the same honest-to-goodness six-speed manual gearbox with rev-matching, now with a dual-mass flywheel. So equipped, it gets from zero to 100 km/h in the same 5.3 seconds as before, on its way to an unchanged top speed of 230 km/h.

While on-paper performance has hardly changed, some under-the-skin work has been done to ensure the GR Corolla is better able to take a sustained pounding on the track, thanks to an uprated cooling package. The fan and coupling power has been boosted from 330 watts to 500 watts, while a sub-radiator has been added on a parallel circuit with the main unit.

Power continues to be channeled to the road through its trademark GR-Four all-wheel-drive system. Just like the on the GR Yaris, its operation has been changed – the torque split now goes from 60:40 front-to-rear in Normal to 50:50 in Gravel (previously 30:70 in Sport), while Track has a variable torque split from 60:40 to 30:70 depending on the driving conditions (previously locked at 50:50). Front and rear Torsen limited-slip differentials continue to be standard-fit in Malaysia.

The outgoing GR Corolla didn’t exactly want for much in terms of driving dynamics, but Toyota has still seen fit to hone the chassis further. Rebound front and rear springs suppress inner wheel lift during hard cornering to improve traction, while the rear spring and anti-roll bars have been retuned to increase ground contact response and controllability in the bends.

Meanwhile, the trailing arm mounting point has been raised to reduce rear squat under acceleration. This prevents the vehicle posture from changing too much, enhancing the accelerative force and providing greater stability when cornering.

Providing a visual indicator to the comprehensive under-the-skin reengineering is a redesigned front bumper, featuring a similar design to the GR Yaris. Larger corner air inlets and the deletion of fog lights increase cooling capacity, feeding air to that new sub-radiator.

There are also new brake ducts and an air curtain that directs air around the front wheels, reducing turbulence in the wheel wells and increasing handling stability. As for colours, the GR Corolla gains a new grey hue called Precious Metal, joining the existing Platinum White Pearl Mica, Emotional Red and Precious Black options.

No changes to the rest of the exterior, which continues to feature a bulging vented bonnet, blistered fenders with front vents, a carbon fibre roof, a large tailgate spoiler and a sizeable rear diffuser with distinctive triple exhausts. Inside, the GR Corolla gets a darker finish on the trim (previously silver) and switches (previously chrome) for a sportier look. No big new interior redesign here, unlike the controversial one in the GR Yaris.

Standard kit includes LED headlights, 18-inch Enkei black multi-spoke alloy wheels (shod with 235/40 R18 Yokohama Advan Apex tyres), keyless entry, push-button start, manual seats, black and red leather and Ultrasuede upholstery, dual-zone climate control, a 12.3-inch digital instrument display, a head-up display, a nine-inch 2DIN touchscreen head unit with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charger, six speakers, a front and rear dash cam, a reverse camera and solar and security tinting.

The GR Corolla also comes with the full complement of Toyota Safety Sense safety features, including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane centring assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and automatic high beam. Seven airbags and stability control are fitted as standard.

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