This Is As Close As The Glanza Gets To Being A Toyota GR Product

This year’s Auto Expo has birthed some outlandish builds, and a few that made headlines were Toyota products. While the Hilux Extreme Concept is undoubtedly the most extreme of the lot, that’s not all from the Japanese carmaker. 

This modified Glanza, showcased at Toyota’s Expo stand, takes inspiration from the carmaker’s range of global GR products such as the Corolla GR. But unfortunately, unlike the latter, this one is a treat for your eyes only and not for your other senses. ‘‘Why?’’ you ask? Well, read on:

Fake it till you make it

That’s the motto of this Glanza. Everything you see on the hatchback is more or less fake because they don’t actually serve a purpose. That being said, the bits and pieces along with its dual-tone black and white paint job do make it look a lot sportier and add a ton of aggression to its styling. 

For instance, the front bumper now gets a splitter with red accents on it. Moving up, you get slats on either side, again with red contrasting accents, and even the grille insert gets contrasting black and red elements. Oh, we forgot to mention. All the black elements have a carbon fiber finish, but it is fake. Still, a tasteful touch, something that can’t be said for everything on it.

Move to the rear and you’ll realise why. No, not the diffuser. In fact, it's actually one of the most neatly integrated bits with the rectangular exhaust resting right in the middle, and even the reworked bumper looks the part. There are red accents here as well. What might be a bit over the top (for some) is the spoiler, which rather than extending from the roof, sits on top of it.

The ORVMs also get the carbon fiber finish, and the black alloy wheels with red calipers contrast the white body hue really well. The interior layout is the same, but with red and white striping and carbon fiber finish throughout the cabin. All in all, it’s a nicely specced sporty-looking hatchback.

Powertrain

We wish Toyota would’ve followed Tata’s footsteps here and plonked in a bigger and more powerful unit like the carmaker did with the Altroz Racer. This modified hatchback continues with its standard 1.2-litre Dual jet petrol engine that produces 89PS and 113Nm. Transmissions include both five-speed manual and five-speed auto gearbox.

Also Read: The Wait Is Over! Maruti Suzuki Jimny 5-Door Globally Debuts At Auto Expo 2023

We reckon this modified Glanza won’t ever see the production line. Though you may not agree, we think it should, considering that Toyota rolled out sporty limited versions of the Fortuner at certain times. Plus, it just makes more sense to get certain bits and accessories from the carmaker itself. If launched, it would rival the Hyundai i20 N Line in the country.