Look out VW Golf R and Civic Type R, Toyota’s GR Corolla arrives in early 2023
TOYOTA Australia has confirmed that just 500 GR Corolla hot hatches will be available in this country during the first 12 months after its launch in the first quarter of next year.
Pricing has not yet been announced for the Australian market but in the United States the least-expensive Core variant costs the equivalent of $A55,000 and the hardcore two-seater Morizo Edition is a staggering $A76,000.
Given the smaller GR Yaris starts at $49,500 before on-road costs in Australia, the highly anticipated, turbo three-cylinder all-wheel drive rival to the Honda Civic Type R and VW Golf R will likely weigh in at $60,000-$65,000 for the most affordable version.
A mid-spec Circuit variant that sells in the US for the equivalent of $A65,700 is likely to form the basis of the Australian entry level GR Corolla.
Like the similarly supply constrained GR Yaris, prospective GR Corolla buyers are encouraged to lodge their interest with their Toyota dealer as soon as possible as allocations will be granted on a first come, best dressed basis.
The new performance car will bring sports DNA back to the Corolla nameplate after being missing for years, using the powerful and responsive G16E-GTS 1.6-litre three-pot turbo engine borrowed from the GR Yaris.
Under the bonnet of GR Corolla resides the potent, the powerplant has been enhanced further with more power to suit the larger hatch, with a 10 per cent increase in power to 220kW and mooted 370Nm of torque.
According to US reports, the Morizo version does better on the power front with a rumoured 224kW and 400Nm.Driving through an ‘intelligent’ six-speed manual transmission only, the GR Corolla employs the GR-Four all-wheel-drive system developed through Toyota’s involvement in the World Rally Championship.
Toyota Australia vice president sales, marketing and franchise operations Sean Hanley said the GR Corolla continued the brand’s commitment to offering customers exciting and engaging vehicles.”With the GR Corolla nearly here, Toyota’s mantra of building fun-to-drive cars is clear to see,” Mr Hanley said.”With the GR brand’s motorsport DNA, the new GR Corolla promises to deliver on just what driving enthusiasts’ desire – high performance turbocharged power, agile and dynamic handling, and stylish good looks,” he said.Owners will have the choice of four drive modes – Normal, Sport, Track and Custom – with the a limited-slip differential aiding traction and roadholding.
The GR Corolla is easily distinguished by its large lower grille opening reminiscent of other GR models while the rear triple-exit, widely spaced exhaust tips and spoiler make no bones about its performance intent.
Aggressively styled 18-inch black alloy wheels shod in high-performance Yokohama Advan Apex (unfortunately not Michelin Cup 2) tyres provide visual and dynamic enhancements, as do the widened front and rear tracks.With certain differences model dependent, GR Corolla features an 8.0-inch touchscreen display screen with Android Auto, wireless Apple CarPlay and satellite navigation.It also has a 12.3-inch full digital instrument cluster display, head-up display and a wireless smartphone charger.Dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and steering wheel, leather trim for the steering wheel, handbrake and shift knob, power windows, keyless entry and start, illuminated entry and tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment are also standard.Active safety features include auto emergency braking with pedestrian and daylight cyclist detection, intersection assist, emergency steering assist, lane trace assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors.The Toyota Connected Services telematics suite is also included.
As with the GR Yaris and GR Yaris Rallye, a particular clientele is interested in GR Corolla with most attention centred on the two-seat, track-focussed version called Morizo in overseas markets but something else undisclosed here.
The Morizo Edition is due to arrive Down Under in the same timeframe as the (predicted) Circuit variant and includes R-spec tyres, more torque, track-ready suspension and a set of rear-end stiffening bars in place of the rear seats.
Although stiffer, the two-seat GR Corolla is also 30kg heavier than the five-seat variant, in no small part due to the additional body reinforcement braces.
As well as more torque, delivery is broader than before arriving between 3000-5500rpm instead of 3250-4600rpm, Toyota also claiming the two-seat GR Corolla offers more throttle response through the engine’s middle reaches.
Keyword: Toyota Aus confirms batch of 500 GR Corollas for 2023