2023 Yaris Cross GR Sport review

Five years ago hardly anyone knew what GR was or what it stood for, both alphabetically and philosophically.

But the GR Supra's arrival started getting the word out and then the utterly hilarious GR Yaris hot hatch made absolutely sure of it. Gazoo Racing quickly became well-known among car people – renaming the 86 coupe GR86 helped that process – and now Toyota wants to push on with warmed-over GR Sport variants, kicking that off with the slightly perplexing C-HR GR Sport and chunky LandCruiser 300 GR Sport.

This year we’ve had two new GRs – the bigger hot hatch Corolla GR and now this curious Yaris Cross GR Sport, which will be followed in a few months by a HiLux GR Sport.

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JUMP AHEAD

• How much is it, and what do you get?
• How do rivals compare on value?
• Interior comfort, space and storage
• What is it like to drive?
• How much fuel does it use?
• How safe is it?
• Warranty and running costs
• VERDICT
• Specifications

How much is it, and what do you get?

The Yaris Cross GR Sport is part of Toyota’s SUV family, the second SUV to hijack a well-known nameplate and the tenth variant in a range that starts at $26,990 before on-road costs.

The GR Sport is based on the mid-spec GXL, slotting in above the all-wheel drive hybrid ($34,990) at $35,840 (both before on-road costs). When I say it’s based on the GXL, it is based – and here’s one of the curious bits – on the front-wheel drive hybrid.

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Interior comfort, space and storage

Like any other Yaris Cross, the cabin is pretty tight.

Changes wrought by the GR Sport uplift aren’t startling, but enough to remind you and any passengers you have spent a few extra bucks for the sporty one.

The seats – already excellent in the GXL – have been reupholstered in a rather fetching fake suede and leather combination for that sporty hold-you-in-place vibe.

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GR Sport badges dot the cabin but not gratuitously so.

The rear seats score the vinyl/suede treatment as well, but that’s your lot. Obviously, it’s no bigger or roomier, but if you’re my height (180cm), it’s good enough for a short trip. There isn’t an armrest, although the 20 part of the 40:20:40 split-fold rear seat does flip forward to reveal a pair of cup holders.

Boot capacity is the usual extremely generous 390 litres, with a simple shape and wide load aperture. There’s also a clever 60:40 split false floor for you to hide things under or remove completely for access to the whole space.

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What is it like to drive?

Those of us who have driven the Yaris Cross don’t mind it in two-wheel drive hybrid form and it is, in fact, the best way to have this particular car.

I say that because the Urban AWD I’ve driven is very expensive and didn’t seem to take much advantage of its more capable multi-link rear suspension or all-paw capability.

The GR Sport’s selling points are, of course, the big alloys with slightly sporty Azenis FK510s tyres (never heard of them either) and a 10mm drop in suspension height. Along with that are some unseen changes, such as additional underfloor bracing to improve rigidity (why isn’t that on all of them?) and other tweaked suspension components.

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It results in a noticeably firmer and racketier drive than the other Yaris Crosses. The ride can be outright bumpy on some surfaces and while the stiffer body should yield more poise, it doesn’t deliver a lot. Sure, it’s fun, but so is the GXL 2WD, so it’s hardly pushing the boat out.

The steering gets better on more interesting roads and the improved body control is more noticeable on those same roads.

It’s all backed by an unchanged 85kW of hybrid power, which is excellent if a bit grumbly.

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How is it on fuel?

We recently tested the Yaris Cross against two of its larger brothers and it didn’t deliver the starkly lower consumption we were expecting.

It’s still pretty good though, with 4.7L/100km during a week of enthusiastic driving.

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How safe is it?

When it first arrived here, the Yaris Cross scored five ANCAP stars with its centre front airbag and a whole host of goodies.

For some reason, though, ANCAP hasn’t given the GR Sport variant a score.

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Warranty and running costs

Toyota’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty comes with a further two years of cover for the drivetrain if you service at a Toyota dealer. On top of that is an eight-year battery warranty.

Servicing comes around every 12 months or 15,000km and, as is the Toyota way, very good value. The capped-price servicing program lasts for the first five intervals at $250 per visit.

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VERDICT

The problem with the GR Sport isn’t that it’s a bad car – it most certainly is not – but it’s not the best Yaris Cross.

You can spend a bit less and get the GXL AWD which has everything but the sporty bits and a better ride to go with it, owing to the smaller wheels and regular suspension. You can spend less again on the GXL 2WD, which is basically what the GR Sport is without, again, the sporty bits.

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I’m not interested in the argument over whether the GR Sport badge devalues the GR brand (because I really don’t care) but you have to wonder who it’s for. Like the C-HR GR Sport, I’m not sure.

The best thing is, though, if you like it, and even though it’s not the best Yaris Cross, it’s still a pretty good small crossover. If a rather expensive one.

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