The twelfth-generation Toyota Corolla is a global player for the Japanese brand and is currently sold in North America, Japan, Europe, China, and several other regions around the world. On the Old Continent, there’s a warm version positioned below the full-blown GR Corolla hot hatch. The so-called Corolla GR Sport has an aggressive appearance and a hybrid combustion engine under the hood. The folks from km77.com recently tested that car around the cones to see how good it is in the moose test.
The Corolla GR Sport from this video is from the 2023 model year for the Spanish market. It has a naturally aspirated and electrified four-cylinder gas engine under the hood, good for a peak output of 196 horsepower (144 kilowatts) and 140 pound-feet (190 Newton-meters) of torque between 4,400 and 5,200 rpm. But as we all know, power is not the deciding factor for a good moose test performance.
Gallery: 2019 Toyota Corolla GR Sport
What is more important, the hatchback has an adjustable suspension with Normal and Sport modes. It rides on 18-inch wheels with Falken Ziex ZE914B tires on all four corners measuring 225/40. After a few days of tests, the editors at km77.com say the car feels very nimble and agile on curvy roads. Is the situation the same in the moose test?
Even during the very first attempt when the driver doesn’t know how the car behaves, the Corolla GR Sport shows very decent cornering qualities. Sure, the test pilot hits a few cones but it needs just a few more attempts to learn the car and squeeze its best performance. In the end, the speedy hatch registers a maximum speed of 47.22 miles per hour (76 kilometers per hour) on the moose test, which is a good result for a car that doesn’t belong to the performance segment.
If you want an even more capable Corolla, then go for the GR Corolla. For the 2024 model year, the GR Corolla Circuit Edition returns with its 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine delivering 300 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. The power is channeled to the wheels exclusively through a six-speed manual gearbox and an adjustable all-wheel-drive system.
