Popular Toyota SUVs such as the Land Cruiser 300 and Yaris Cross sold overseas can already be ordered with performance tuning via a GR Sport upgrade, though in the future a dedicated performance SUV developed by GR may be launched.
GR, short for Gazoo Racing, is Toyota’s official motorsports and performance arm. It’s the division responsible for wild road cars like the GR Corolla and even more extreme GRMN Yaris, and its chief, Tomoya Takahashi, has signaled that he wants to develop a GR SUV.
“In the future, from my point of view we need a GR SUV,” he recently told Australian media, including Car Expert.
He said that some buyers, for whatever reasons, require an SUV, and thus the GR portfolio should offer one. However, he said the division’s resources are limited, suggesting that a GR SUV might not show up anytime soon.
2024 Toyota GR Corolla
Toyota SUVs currently available with a tamer GR Sport upgrade include the aforementioned Land Cruiser 300 and Yaris Cross, and the C-HR, the latest version of which is also sold overseas only. The upgrades typically include a sport-tuned suspension, uprated brakes, and GR-branded items for the interior.
In contrast, dedicated performance offerings from GR tend to feature power upgrades, weight-saving modifications, body reinforcements, track-tuned suspension, and more.
The sole GR offering in the U.S. is the GR Corolla hot hatch, but a high-performance Supra may join it shortly. Toyota is currently out testing a tuned Supra that is thought to be a project of the GR division. Expect a debut later this year.
