Thailand gets a very minor update for its Toyota Corolla Cross GR Sport

The Toyota Corolla Cross GR Sport is Toyota’s way to make its compact crossover look a little bit hotter, thanks to some GR-inspired tweaks inside and out. We’ve seen other countries like Europe and Japan get substantial updates to the model, while it seems that Thailand has just received an update that hits a little too close to home.

And we mean that in the literal sense, as our Corolla Cross is sourced from Thailand too, so this is one example of a very minor update that we might see in the future.

Unlike the other countries that get a GR Corolla-esque front bumper, this one retains the same “dog snout” look, just with a body-colored grille surround, and the removal of the rugged “pods” found in the grille, front skid plate, side skirt, and rear bumper for a more streamlined and cleaner appearance.

Otherwise, the headlights, clear taillights, two-tone 18-inch wheels, panoramic sunroof, and two-tone paintjob are the same as what we currently have.

The interior is almost exactly the same, down to the digital 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.1-inch infotainment screen, wireless charger, dual-zone climate control, and the same layout (not like the newer, two-tiered design in European/Japanese models).

The small changes can be seen in the steering wheel, which now has a GR emblem on the bottom spoke, a GR Start-Stop button, red contrast stitching throughout the cabin, and red seatbelts to complement the GR logo embroidered in the headrest.

It still has a 1.8-liter 2ZR-FXE engine that makes 98 horsepower and 142Nm of torque. This is paired to a 53kW electric motor, with a combined system output of 122 horsepower, and the 4Ah lithium-ion battery. However, the Thai version gets specially tuned electric power steering and a GR Sport Suspension.

Would you like to see Toyota Motor Philippines bring these changes in, or would you rather wait for the drastically improved Corolla Cross GR-S?

^{Photos from Toyota Motor Thailand}