Toyota’s Gazoo Racing Corolla hot hatch has finally been unleashed, and there’s a lot to love about it…
It’s one of the most popular and enduring nameplates across the globe, and now a long-awaited high-performance version of the Toyota Corolla is on its way to Australia.
It’s only just been unwrapped, but here are five things we already love about the 2022 Toyota GR Corolla…
Return of the turbo
This isn’t the first hot turbocharged Toyota Corolla to be offered Down Under. Two decades ago, a unique Australian-engineered Toyota Corolla Sportivo turbo ruled the ’Rola line-up, pumping out 115kW of power from its force-fed 1.8-litre four-pot petrol engine.
While not all that impressive today, the Sportivo was a potent machine back then, bringing a significant boost in power compared to the standard 85kW donk used in the regular Corolla range – as well as a host of chassis mods.
Now, turbo power is back, baby!
Fitted with an uprated version of the 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine found in the GR Yaris, the stove-hot new Corolla will deliver a whopping 220kW of power and 370Nm of torque to all four wheels.
Needless to say, it should be lots of fun!
It’ll land this year
Toyota Australia is keeping quiet on key details such as how many examples of the GR Corolla are heading Down Under in the first batch, and how much it will cost, but the great news is that the hotly-anticipated model will be arriving this year.
The Aussie branch of the Japanese auto giant has confirmed that the GR Corolla will be launched in the final quarter of 2022.
If it turns out to be a super-limited supply situation like we saw with the GR Yaris, we’d suggest that if you’re keen on securing one of the first examples of GR Corolla then have your deposit ready and watch out for details of the local ordering process.
Race car roots
As the GR moniker suggests, the upcoming Toyota GR Corolla was developed by the car-maker’s dedicated Gazoo Racing arm, with early prototypes even consisting of a hydrogen-powered race car.
As seen on the GR Yaris Rallye, the track-ready GR Corolla has front and rear Torsen limited-slip differentials working in tandem with the standard six-speed manual transmission and GR-FOUR four-wheel drive system with three driver-selectable modes (Normal, Sport and Track).
Other chassis highlights include big four-piston brakes up front, ventilated rotors at each corner, a widened front and rear track and a sports-tuned MacPherson strut front/multi-link rear suspension.
As Toyota boss Akio Toyoda says, the GR Corolla came to life from the desire to “bring back a Corolla that captivates our customers”.
It looks hot
Pumped wheel-arches, a bulging bonnet and dual exhaust outlets are just a few of the eye-catching additions that are sure to turn heads towards the Toyota GR Corolla when it lands later this year.
Riding on 18-inch black cast alloy wheels that sit atop red brake callipers, the new GR ’Rola’s muscular exterior is just the start.
Inside the cabin, every example will get GR sports bucket seats up front, a motorsport-inspired dash and a proper manual handbrake.
Track (and drift) ready
Which brings us to our next key point: Every example of the five-door-only Toyota GR Corolla will come pretty much ready to slay the racetrack.
Whether you’re a seasoned track-goer or beginner, you won’t need to confine the GR ’Rola to just the twisty stuff.
Clad in super-grippy Yokohama Advan Apex V601 performance rubber, we’re expecting the GR Corolla to be well and truly in its element on track, where much of its development work has taken place.
That’s not to say the all-paw Corolla won’t easily tackle a cheeky wet skid pan without breaking a sweat.
Sceptical? If the GR Yaris can do it, no doubt its more powerful big brother can, too. Especially with a proper e-brake…
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