With the arrival of the GR Garage in Malaysia, Toyota managed to recapture the interest of many car enthusiasts back to the brand. To allow car enthusiasts to get more involved with the brand, Toyota put on the GR festival that runs throughout the year, and launched the GR products here in Malaysia. For the Malaysian market, we get 3 different GR products, namely the GR Supra, GR Yaris, and the Vios GRS. This time round, I’ll be checking out the Toyota Vios GRS, and see if this Vios has been tuned by the GR team, or if it’s just a badge engineering.
For the non car enthusiasts, the Vios GRS may look like any other Vios on the road. This is not wrong either, because the exterior of the Vios GRS is basically a regular Vios with an attitude. The Vios GRS comes with an aggressive front bumper, which reminds me of the limited edition GR Yaris. On top of that, Toyota also blacked out the wing mirrors, door handles, and rear spoiler to make the Vios GRS look more distinctive. 
To further highlight that the Vios GRS is a GR product, plenty of GR badges have been stickered all over the vehicle. While the front gets a different looking front bumper, the rear bumper remains the same bumper as the regular Vios, but with a sportier bumper extension. The different looking rear bumper extension, comes with a fake diffuser that enhances the aggressive look of the Vios GRS from the back. Lastly, the Vios GRS comes standard with a set of larger 17-inch rims all round. The 17-inch rims have been blacked out as well, and are wrapped in 205/45 R17 tyres, which fill up the wheel arch gap nicely. 
On the inside, most of the interior components for the Vios GRS are carried over from the regular Vios. For the added GR touch, the Vios GRS has been fitted with GR specific parts to enhance the sportiness of the interior. To start off, the engine start stop button now features the GR logo on it. On top of that, the background color for the instrument cluster has been changed from blue to red, to give the car a sporty feeling as well. 
While the above mentioned changes are considered minor, the major differences between the regular Vios and the Vios GRS are on the front seats. The Vios GRS now comes with proper semi bucket seats, which provides an even more engaging driving experience. Wrapped in suede, the front seats are a lot more comfortable and supportive compared to the regular front seats. This is due to the lower seating position and thicker side bolster that these semi bucket seats provide. Apart from that, the rear seats and the boot space remains the same as the regular Vios. 
Under the hood, the same naturally aspirated 1.5L engine continues to power the Vios GRS. The difference here is that the Vios GRS now gets a 10-speed Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) instead of a 7-speed unit. This 1.5L engine produces 105bhp at 6,000rpm, and a peak torque of 140Nm at 4,200rpm. The Vios GRS has a top speed of 170km/h, which is the same as the regular Vios. 
Just like the regular Vios, the peak torque for this engine is available around the mid band of the RPM. This is the reason for Toyota to upgrade the transmission, so that the driver has more opportunity to utilize the torque band while driving. By replacing the transmission, Toyota managed to keep the cost reasonable as developing and testing an all new powertrain will push the price of the Vios GRS even higher. With the updated transmission, it also made the Vios GRS an even more efficient vehicle, thanks to the additional gears inside the transmission. 
One of the most notable upgrades that the Vios GRS receive, are the sports tuned suspension all round. This sports tuned suspension keeps the Vios GRS planted in the corners, and it also does a great job in minimizing the body roll of the vehicle. While going through uneven roads, I was quite surprised at how well the Vios GRS is soaking up all the road imperfections with this suspension. Overall, I think that GR engineers did a great job in turning a comfort base vehicle sporty, without compromising on the comfort level.
Even though the handling capabilities have been improved on the Vios GRS, I think it was let down by the rather vague steering feedback. I struggle to keep track with the amount of grip that the front tires have, and the steering is not as sharp as those found on the TNGA vehicles. This turns into a guessing game when driving fast on twisty roads, even though the Vios GRS comes with larger wheels and tyres. On the flip side, I do find that the pedal feel from the brakes have been improved. I’m not really sure what Toyota has done to it, but it definitely increases the confidence that I have when stepping on the brake pedal. 
In terms of safety, the Vios GRS shares the same safety and driver assistance system as the regular Vios G. The Vios GRS comes with 7 airbags, Pre-collision System (PCS), Lane Departure Alert (LDA), Blind Spot Monitor (BSM), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with EBD & BA, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRC), Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), and Emergency Stop Signal (ESS).
Priced at RM98,100.00, I think that Toyota has done a great job in turning a regular sedan into something rather nice to drive. While the Vios GRS comes with improved driving capabilities, the lack of power and vague steering wheel hides the full potential of this vehicle. With the new generation Vios hitting the market soon, I really hope that Toyota could turn the next Vios GRS into a proper driving machine for the road. As for now, the Vios GRS does provide younger car buyers a chance to experience the joy of driving at a lower price point.
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