Toyota Yaris Cross GR Sport 2023 Review

At $36,000 plus on-road costs, the 2023 Toyota Yaris Cross GR Sport is available in front-drive hybrid form only and is one rung down from the range-topping Urban AWD Hybrid (from $39,000 plus ORCs).

It’s not a Gazoo Racing model like the hysterically rapid Toyota GR Yaris. Apart from a sportier suspension system that lowers the ride height by 10mm, most of the money is spent on pure bling.

And that’s why the price is identical to the less sporty but more lavish Urban 2WD Hybrid and the similar-spec but four-wheel drive GXL AWD Hybrid.

The somewhat visually polarising 2023 Toyota Yaris Cross GR Sport takes the already slightly pretentious light SUV into more extroverted territory with its new black mesh grille, bespoke 18-inch wheels, red brake callipers and faux rear diffuser.

And while the suspension may give it a 10mm-lower profile, the hatch-becomes-SUV still manages to look vertically oriented and slightly spindly.

It’s the inside that really lifts the game with the GR Sport’s combination of perforated suede/faux leather seats, strategically placed gunmetal-look inserts around the dash panel and doors, a sprinkling of GR badges, grey stitching on the steering wheel and seats, and aluminium floor pedals.

The front seats have also been reworked to provide better support, Toyota says. However, unlike the premium Urban variants of the Yaris Cross, power front seat adjustment doesn’t make the cut.

Elsewhere, as found on other models, there’s single-zone climate control (albeit joining with the Urban grade in offering pollutant-reducing air ionisation), satellite navigation on a 7.0-inch display screen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, USB-A and USB-C ports in the centre console and a workman-like six-speaker sound system.

Not surprisingly, the Yaris Cross GR Sport lacks vents providing a direct airflow to the back seat passengers, but the headlights are at least self-dipping LEDs.

All-new models such as the 2023 Toyota Yaris Cross are typically scooping up high levels of advanced driver assist safety technology, so the latest GR Sport fares pretty well in this area.

Standard features include autonomous emergency braking (low speeds only), pedestrian avoidance, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, cross traffic alert (front only), driver attention detection and a 360-degree panoramic view monitor.

Parking sensors are a surprising omission at both front and rear ends of the GR Sport.

With eight airbags, including a front centre airbag, the Yaris Cross scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2021.

The 2023 Toyota Yaris Cross GR Sport has a 4.2-inch digital instrument display and a central 7.0-inch colour touch-screen.

The latter operates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and myToyota apps including Waze, Stitcher and WebEx. Bluetooth and voice recognition are there, while the radio has AM/FM bands and DAB.

You get USB-A and USB-C ports in the GR Sport, plus a 12-volt power socket.

Access to Toyota Connected Services is also provided (free, for the first three years of ownership), offering 4G-enabled emergency SOS calling, stolen car tracking and access to driver and vehicle data via the myToyota Connect app.

There’s no 200kW turbo-triple engine here as found in the Toyota GR Yaris hot hatch, with the 2023 Toyota Yaris Cross GR Sport using the regular hybrid powertrain found in other models.

The 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine produces 67kW and 120Nm – less power and torque than the non-hybrid version (88kW/145Nm) – but adds an extra 59kW/141Nm via an electric motor that’s fed by a lithium-ion battery.

The hybrid system’s combined power output is 85kW, which is down slightly on the regular powerplant but there’s compensation in the extra torque fed in by the electric motor.

This power is sent, in the GR Sport, to the front wheels via Toyota’s efficient planetary-gear CVT system and benefits from the fact that the electric motor’s hefty torque is available from the get-go.

Toyota claims a combined fuel consumption figure, on 91 RON regular unleaded, of 5.4L/100km for the 2023 Toyota Yaris Cross GR Sport.

That’s on the leaner side of average for the (non-hybrid) class.

We did notably better in our review car, recording 4.7L/100km in a mixed bag of driving conditions.

That made the small 36-litre fuel tank seem quite adequate, and underscored the fact that Yaris Cross hybrids are pretty thrifty.

The lower-riding, more-tied-down suspension on the 2023 Toyota Yaris Cross GR Sport has been reworked at the front to minimise body roll and improve the ride, while at the back there’s more rigidity to help further sharpen the relatively fast-ratio steering (2.7 turns from lock to lock).

At 10.6 metres from kerb to kerb, the GR Sport crossover turns pretty tight, too.

The suspension gets firmer springs and revised front lower control arms, as well as more bracing in the underbody including an extra rear brace that connects the crossmembers.

This doesn’t transform the dressed-up Yaris into a ‘proper’ GR model, but it does add to the sharpness of steering responses and the levels of on-road composure without notably affecting the quality of the ride.

The 10mm ground clearance reduction to 160mm isn’t that noticeable visually, but it further reduces any temptation to take the Yaris Cross GR Sport any distance into even slightly rough territory.

The almost-perky acceleration brings no complaints but it’s a pity Toyota hasn’t bothered to inject the 1.5-litre three-cylinder with an appealing off-beat note found in some other three-potters, such as the Ford Puma.

The combination of overanxious CVT behaviour and the sometimes-rowdy engine reminds of the Yaris Cross GR Sport’s humble roots.

No one would expect any Yaris Cross to perform as a tow vehicle, and the GR Sport hybrid takes it a step further by lowering the rated towing capacity from the 1250kg quoted for non-hybrid variants to just 400kg.

There’s a subtle feeling of added class in the cabin of the 2023 Toyota Yaris Cross GR Sport.

You’ll find imitation suede in the seats and on the doors, a bit of ‘gunmetal’ trim here and there – and a few badges – to provide some relief from lower-grade Yaris Cross models.

The extra shaping in the GR Sport’s front seats provides welcome, if minimal, extra support.

Up front there’s plenty of legroom and enough fore-aft seat adjustment to suit even taller occupants, but in the back it’s pretty much what you would expect.

The Yaris Cross GR Sport is a tad squeezy for legroom and shoulder-room, but adequate if only two passengers in this nominal five-seater are riding back there and a co-operative deal on legroom is struck with those seated up front.

All-round vision is decent from anywhere inside.

At 390 litres, the boot is on the slightly more generous side when compared with similar-size SUVs such as the Kia Stonic, Hyundai Venue and Mazda CX-3.

Although Toyota doesn’t provide a figure, the total seats-folded load space expands to a maximum of around 1000 litres via a 60/40-split folding rear seatback.

A space-saver wheel sits under the two-level boot floor.

The 2023 Toyota Yaris Cross GR Sport is a nice fit for the Japanese brand’s popular small SUV range and, next to its competitors, adds a bit of extra dynamism and visual presence that should appeal to younger buyers.

Potential customers at the top end of the Yaris Cross range might, however, find themselves pondering whether the Urban version, with its slightly better-equipped cabin and available all-wheel drive, might offer a more useful spread of equipment choices than the one-spec-only GR Sport.

2023 Toyota Yaris Cross GR Sport at a glance:
Price: $36,000 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol-electric
Output: 67kW/120Nm (electric motor: 59kW/141Nm)
Combined output: 85kW
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic
Fuel: 5.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 124g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2021)