Toyota Australia has managed to secure an additional 200 examples of the new GR Corolla hot hatch than originally expected, with 700 confirmed for the first year on sale.
This is more than than 500 previously expected and should help ease the pent-up demand for the highly-anticipated hot hatch. But while there will be more of the new GR Corolla GTS than anticipated, the company has confirmed that it will only have 25 examples of the special two-seat Morizo Edition.
The Japanese giant confirmed local pricing and specifications too, with the GTS starting at $62,300 and the Morizo Edition costing $77,800 (both prices exclude on-road costs). That means the GR Corolla GTS costs almost $25,000 more than the next most-expensive Corolla hatch, the $37,620 ZR Hybrid.
However, those prices do position the GR Corolla well below its likely arch-rival, the Honda Civic Type R, which will be priced from $72,600, as well as the $66,990 Volkswagen Golf R and the final Renault Megane RS Trophy, which starts at $63,000.
As previously announced, the GR Corolla gets the same powertrain from the GR Yaris. That means a 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, but it has a unique tune that produces 221kW of power and 370Nm of torque across a broader rev range. The engine is paired to a six-speed manual transmission and the same all-wheel drive system as the GR Yaris.
The GR Corolla GTS rides on 18-inch alloy wheels fitted with Yokohama tyres and gets a unique, aerodynamically tuned body kit.
Standard equipment on the GTS includes a 12.3-inch digital instrument display and a 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen which includes an eight-speaker JBL sound system with digital radio and satellite navigation as well as wireless Apple CarPlay but wired Android Auto. Other features include wireless smartphone charging, dual-zone climate control and heated front seats and steering wheel.
The leather-wrapped steering wheel is taken from the GR Yaris, as are the aluminium pedals and the manual park brake. The seats are trimmed in a combination of suede and artificial leather with contrasting silver stitching.
The Morizo Edition takes performance to the next level by removing the rear seats and replacing the front seats with unique buckets. There’s also a red theme to the interior, with red contrasting stitching, red seatbelts and more suede trim on the steering wheels, gearshift and handbrake.
It also features a carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) roof that both reduces weight and lowers the car’s centre-of-gravity for better handling.
Engine performance is boosted by 30Nm to 400Nm, but power remains at 221kW.
The limited edition also gets unique 18-inch BBS forged alloy wheels finished in dark silver and fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres for further handling improvement.
The GR Corolla GTS is on sale now but the Morizo Edition won’t arrive for the 25 lucky owners until later in the year.
Toyota Australia did stress that while there will only be approximately 300 Morizo Edition built worldwide, there is potential for that 25 to grow if more supply can be secured.
Keyword: Bonus supply: 2023 Toyota GR Corolla pricing confirmed with even more cars coming that expected, but is it cheaper than a Honda Civic Type R?