Long-awaited GR Corolla hot hatch officially breaks cover, but how many will Australia get?
The camouflage has been ditched and the Toyota GR Corolla has finally been revealed in all its high-performance glory ahead of an Aussie launch later this year .
Due in the final quarter, the 2022 Toyota GR Corolla is every bit as fearsome-looking as it ought to be given its 220kW power output – and muscular 370Nm of torque – and other modifications packed in underneath its pumped-up body.
Sharing plenty in common with the Toyota GR Yaris, the GR Corolla features an uprated (+20kW) version of the Yaris’ 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine, with the same six-speed manual transmission being employed to send drive to all four wheels.
As per the GR Yaris, the hot new Corolla has 18-inch cast alloy wheels shod with 235/40R18 Yokohama Advan Apex V601 rubber.
And just like the fast Yaris, the GR Corolla features a three-mode all-wheel drive system and a pair of Torsen limited-slip differentials – front and rear – as standard to help maximise its cornering performance.
Suspension hardware comprises MacPherson struts up front and a trailing multi-link configuration at the rear, each featuring pillow-ball bushings and bespoke springs and shock absorbers.
As you might’ve guessed by the massively flared wheel-arches, the GR Corolla’s front (1590mm) and rear (1620mm) tracks are also considerably wider than those of the standard small hatch.
Braking performance is boosted with ventilated brakes discs clamped by four-piston callipers up front and twin-pot stoppers at the rear.
The GR Corolla tips the scales at 1475kg – more than 150kg above the GR Yaris Rallye and almost 200kg more than the GR Yaris.
This is not unexpected given the GR Corolla is a bigger vehicle than Yaris, measuring 4410mm long, 1850mm wide and 1455mm tall, but with the extra power there should be no concessions in terms of the benchmark performance figures – which are still being held under wraps.
Crucially, the GR Corolla is only being produced as a five-door as opposed to the three-door-only GR Yaris.
This will leave it with a good dose of practicality when it inevitably goes up against established hot hatch favourites like the Hyundai i30 N and Ford Focus ST, both of which have less power (but more torque) than the all-paw GR Corolla.
Toyota Australia is yet to confirm if the GR Corolla will be a limited-run offering like the GR Yaris or if it will be installed as a full-time member of the Aussie Corolla line-up.
Either way, local supply and allocation details are yet to be revealed.
Standard equipment details will be revealed closer to the car’s local launch, but we do know the latest Toyota Safety Sense package, GR bucket seats, a manual handbrake and a motorsport-inspired dash will all be included out of the box.
“The GR Corolla sprang to life based on the strong desire of Mr Toyoda to ‘bring back a Corolla that captivates our customers’,” Toyota Australia said in a statement.
“Since the birth of Corolla in 1966, the nameplate has continually evolved into a variety of body styles to meet the changing lifestyles of Toyota customers.
“With the GR Corolla joining the line-up, it is clear the Corolla series will continue to evolve.”
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Keyword: Confirmed: Toyota GR Corolla coming this year