toyota

2026 Toyota GR Corolla Automatic vs Manual: Which One Should You Buy?

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UMW Toyota launched the GR Corolla automatic in January 2026, some three years after the introduction of the manual GR Corolla. Complete with a boost in maximum torque from 370Nm to 400Nm. Here are my observations of the GR Corolla 8 A/T versus the manual 6-speed version. Both powered by the same 1.6-litre turbo, similar 300 PS, identical GR-Four permanent all-wheel drive. However, these two GR Corollas deliver quite a different driving experience. Undoubtedly, the 8-speed automatic is the easier car to drive fast. In traffic, it offers easy convenience: no clutch work, no constant shifting – just step on…

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2026 Toyota Urban Cruiser Review, 406km Real-World Range and a Familiar Toyota Feel

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The 2026 Urban Cruiser is an interesting take by Toyota on the compact BEV crossover genre: sharp headlamps with a serious “stare” embodied in that sleek hammer-head front, wrapped by elegantly chiselled front bumper. Added with rugged body contours and those rear pregnant wheel arches which convey a rugged and sporty outlook, especially finished in the metallic Pearl Bluish Black of the tester unit by Toyota Malaysia. This could very well be a lifestyle-oriented daily driver other than those boring, boxy hatchbacks. Compared to the Suzuki e-Vitara, the Toyota arguably looks flashier, although underneath, these two cousins are nearly identical…

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Toyota bZ4X versus Chinese EVs

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Toyota bZ4X Interior View Toyota bZ4X Front View Toyota bZ4X Side View Toyota bZ4X Back View Toyota bZ4X Night View After a 300 km drive in Toyota’s first EV into Malaysia, I came away impressed by its power, ride and handling. I had been anticipating how Toyota — the company that has spent decades perfecting the combustion engine, automatic transmission and legends like the Corolla and Hilux — would translate all that experience into an electric vehicle. The answer for Malaysia might just be the bZ4X. And perhaps the most interesting thing about it is not what Toyota has put…

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MY CAMEL TROPHY INSTINCTS MEET THE TOYOTA HILUX EV

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I approached the Toyota Hilux BEV test drive with more than a little curiosity. After all, as a veteran of three Camel Trophies and a veteran off-road enthusiast, I’ve spent enough time in jungles, mud and rain to know that when the going gets tough, you normally want a diesel engine, a big set of tyres and a recovery winch. Not a puny battery in an EV. So, the concept of taking an electric Hilux off-road was irresistible. Could the Hilux BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) live up to the reputation of Toyota’s legendary diesel light truck? And could there even…

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