2022 Corolla GR-S with Toyota Safety Sense begins at PHP 1.302M

After making its regional debut in Thailand earlier this year, Toyota’s latest sport-styled sedan has made its way to the Philippines. Say hello to the 2022 Toyota Corolla Altis GR Sport.

Let’s begin with the most obvious first, the exterior. The GR Sport version of the Corolla Altis comes with a unique front bumper with a larger honeycomb pattern grille, sharp corner air vents, and black accents.

Around the back, it gets a more subtle update courtesy of a rear bumper lip. Other exterior changes include new side skirts, new 17-inch alloy wheels, and black side mirror covers. As a final touch, it gets GR Sport emblems all around to remind everyone this is no ordinary Corolla Altis.

Hop inside, and it gets full-leather seats with red contrast stitching. Even the steering wheel and center armrest come with sporty red stitching. Meanwhile, the accents on the door handles are finished in red which further heightens the sedan’s snazzier appearance. Also worth mentioning are the GR Sport engine start/stop button the paddle shifters on the steering wheel, and GR-branded floor mats which are exclusive only to the Gazoo Racing Sport version.

Since the GR-S Corolla Altis is based on the V variant, it comes loaded with features and amenities. These include a power-adjustable driver’s seat, 7-inch multi-info display, leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel, automatic climate control with rear vents, 60:40 split-folding rear seats, rear center armrest with cupholders, bi-beam LED headlights, auto rain-sensing wipers, power-folding side mirrors, and keyless smart entry.

Providing infotainment is an 8-inch touchscreen media display. Not only does it come with AM/FM radio, but it also gets Bluetooth, USB, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Miracast connectivity features. Rounding up everything is a six-speaker sound system.

Under the hood, the Corolla Altis GR Sport comes with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder Dual VVT-i engine dubbed the 1ZR-FE. It makes 121 PS at 6000 rpm along with 153 Nm of torque at 5200 rpm. It is exclusively paired to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with manual select.

For the first time, Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) is made available to the non-hybrid versions of the Corolla Altis. It’s first made available to the GR Sport variant and comes with; a pre-collision system, automatic high beam, lane-tracing assist with steering assist, lane departure alert, and dynamic radar cruise control. It also gets blind-spot monitoring for added peace of mind.

Other safety features available on the Corolla Altis GR Sport are; anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, hill-start assist, vehicle stability control, reverse camera, rear parking sensors, and 7 airbags.

The 2022 Toyota Corolla Altis GR Sport 1.6V CVT with TSS retails for PHP 1,302,000, a White Pearl option will be an additional PHP 15,000.

Some might argue it’s only a dress-up kit for the Corolla Altis for PHP 87,000 more, it does come with TSS active safety system, something that you can't install yourself. If you’re looking for a sedan with a sporty vibe and is equipped with an ADAS suite, the Corolla Altis GR Sport may be the vehicle for you.