The Toyota GR Corolla has been updated in Japan, with sales of the revised hot hatch set to commence there from November 3 this year. Building on the facelift that was introduced globally last August (Japan launch in February 2025), the GR Corolla’s new improvements are derived from lessons learned from competing in Japan’s Super Taikyu racing series. According to the carmaker, the GR Corolla’s body structure has been reinforced to endure vertical and lateral g-forces that are more intense than those typically generated at circuits in Japan. To achieve this, the application of structural adhesive has been extended to 32.7 metres, which is 13.9 metres more than in the current RZ trim level. The additional adhesive is primarily applied in the front part of the body, floor and areas around the rear wheel wells. Toyota says this enhances body rigidity with minimal weight penalty and that “the resulting reinforced body structure enhances the sense of driver-car unity in all situations, from city to circuit driving.” Next up, to maintain stable high engine output even when the engine compartment temperature rises during prolonged full-throttle driving, the car gains a high-engine-speed-activated cool air duct to the secondary intake duct. This sits below the air filter and serves to draw in outside air directly from the front grille to reduce intake-air temperature. Meanwhile, the JBL sound system now comes with nine speakers instead of eight previously, with a subwoofer being added in the boot. This works with the pre-existing Active Noise Control (ANC) to reduce interruptive engine noise and other unwanted sounds. Cars with this optional sound system also feature Active Sound Control (ASC), which is a system that emits sporty sounds through the speakers to make the driving experience more exciting. The system offers three sound patterns and three volume settings (including switching it off totally), even generating sounds usually triggered by anti-lag systems. At present, getting a GR Corolla in Japan is dependent on luck due to a lottery system being used to determine buyers. Toyota says this will change moving forward, as supply system revisions should increase availability. Prices remain unchanged, with the RZ priced at 5.68 million yen (about RM162k) with a six-speed manual transmission, while the eight-speed automatic is 5.98 million yen (RM170k) – these figures include Japan’s consumption tax. Existing GR Corolla owners can look forward to a software upgrade programme currently in development that provides a 30 Nm increase in peak torque. Available in spring 2026 for 2023 model year cars, the upgrade sees torque increase from 370 Nm to 400 Nm, matching the facelifted model. The G16E-GTS 1.6 litre turbocharged inline-three petrol engine in the facelift serves up 304 PS (300 hp or 224 kW) of peak output. The new software also revises the GR-Four all-wheel drive control system, with the previous ‘Rear’ mode being replaced with ‘Gravel’ that sees torque distribution change from 30:70 front/rear to 50:50. Meanwhile, ‘Track’ mode that was previously 50:50 will be variable, with adjustments ranging from 60:40 to 30:70.
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