Toyota GR86 SZ Expert Review

A sports car that remembers how to behave

The Toyota GR86 does not need to shout about being fast. It simply sits there looking slightly annoyed, which is generally the correct attitude for a sports coupe.

The long bonnet, low roof and short rear deck give the GR86 classic front-engine, rear-drive proportions. It is only 4,265mm long, but the 1,775mm width and 1,310mm height make it look planted rather than toy-like. The low centre of gravity is not merely an aesthetic trick either; it is fundamental to how the car drives.

At the front, the GR86 uses Toyota's GR design language without covering the entire thing in unnecessary aerodynamic furniture. The headlights are sharp, the grille is wide and the bonnet sits low. Around the back, the compact rear end and twin exhaust outlets reinforce the sports-car character.

For Bangladesh, however, there is one elephant sitting underneath the car: 130mm of ground clearance. Dhaka's speed breakers have never met a sports car they didn't want to humble.

The SZ's standard 17-inch wheels also give it a slightly more understated appearance than the RZ's larger wheels. Some enthusiasts will prefer that because there is more tyre sidewall and less visual fuss.

Overall, the GR86 exterior succeeds because it looks like a proper sports car without becoming a caricature.

Simple, focused and slightly selfish

Inside the GR86, Toyota has resisted the modern temptation to turn every square centimetre into a touchscreen. The driving position is low, the dashboard is compact and the controls are arranged around the person actually doing the driving. The steering wheel sits nicely in front of the driver, the instruments are clear and the cockpit immediately communicates that this car was designed around corners rather than cup holders. The SZ uses fabric sports seats rather than the more luxurious upholstery found higher in the range. That sounds like a downgrade until you remember what the car is supposed to do. The seats hold you securely and keep the cabin relatively uncomplicated. Front-seat space is good for a sports coupe. Two adults can spend a long journey inside without feeling folded into origami. The rear seats are another matter. They technically exist, but expecting four large adults to enjoy them would be an experiment in human endurance. Storage is limited, and the boot is only around 226 litres. Yet folding the rear seatbacks makes the GR86 considerably more useful than its silhouette suggests. For Bangladesh, the cabin's biggest strengths are its driving position and straightforward controls. The biggest weaknesses are rear-seat practicality, limited storage and the absence of the luxury touches found in more expensive cars.

Enough technology without turning it into a rolling smartphone

The GR86 SZ is not a luxury car, and Toyota makes little attempt to disguise that fact.

You get the essentials: automatic climate control, power windows, smart entry and push-button start, a 7-inch digital Boxer-style instrument display, steering-wheel controls, cruise control, USB connectivity and the basic convenience equipment expected from a modern Japanese sports coupe.

The current Japanese SZ specification also includes rear clearance sensors and EyeSight safety technology, while equipment such as blind-spot monitoring can depend on specification. Toyota's equipment list shows the SZ with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, LED rear combination lamps, smart entry/start and fabric upholstery.

The entertainment side is where buyers need to be careful. Japanese-market GR86 SZ equipment changed across model years, and some cars can have different audio configurations. Therefore, a Bangladesh buyer should verify the exact imported car rather than assuming every SZ has the same touchscreen, speaker count or smartphone integration.

The useful stuff is there, but the GR86 deliberately avoids becoming a gadget showroom.

That is arguably a good thing. When the road opens up, nobody cares whether the car has twelve ambient-light colours.

Serious safety underneath the playful exterior

The GR86 is a sports car, but Toyota has not treated safety as an optional accessory.

The basic structure includes multiple airbags, ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, stability control, traction-related stability intervention, hill-start assistance, ISOFIX mounting points and seatbelt pretensioning systems. The car also uses ventilated disc brakes at both ends.

The more interesting equipment comes from the EyeSight system used on Japanese-market cars. Depending on transmission and specification, the GR86 can provide pre-collision braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive/vehicle-following cruise control, high-beam assistance and rear clearance sensing. Automatic versions also receive additional reverse-braking and pedal-misapplication protection functions.

Blind-spot monitoring is not universally standard on SZ; Toyota lists the rear-side warning system as an option on SZ while making it standard on RZ.

In Bangladesh, however, electronic safety systems cannot compensate for reckless driving, poor tyres or wet roads. The GR86's low seating position and excellent chassis give the driver confidence, but the car still demands respect.

It is fundamentally a well-equipped modern sports coupe, not an autonomous chauffeur.

This is where the GR86 earns its name

The GR86 exists because Toyota apparently looked at the automotive industry and decided there should still be a car that simply asks, “Would you like to have fun?”

The 2.4-litre FA24 boxer engine produces 235 hp and 250 Nm without turbocharging. That matters. There is no great wall of turbo torque arriving like a delivery truck. Instead, the engine responds progressively, revs freely and encourages the driver to use the gearbox.

Then comes the important bit: rear-wheel drive.

The steering is direct, the chassis is balanced and the low centre of gravity gives the GR86 a wonderfully natural attitude through corners. The front MacPherson struts and rear double-wishbone suspension are classic sports-car engineering rather than marketing decoration. Toyota also fits a Torsen limited-slip differential in the current Japanese specification.

Around Dhaka, the story is slightly less romantic. Traffic makes a manual gearbox tiring, potholes demand attention and the 130mm clearance requires careful speed-breaker negotiation. The automatic therefore makes more sense for someone using the GR86 every day.

Take it onto a good highway or winding road, however, and the car changes character completely.

The GR86 is not brutally fast. It is better than that.

It is entertaining.