Toyota Corolla hot hatch for 2021

It’s a case of when, not if, the Toyota Corolla GR hot hatch will be unveiled – and according to Japanese media reports the highly-anticipated Golf GTI rival will break cover late in 2021.

That’s the word according to Japanese publication

While the website cites no sources for the claims, a high-performance tyre-shredding Corolla is in the works after Toyota USA inadvertently confirmed a second stove-hot GR hatch after the upcoming Toyota Yaris GR.

Though it could also be offered as a wagon in Japan, at present the Corolla Touring Sports wagon looks unlikely to be sold in Australia.

Toyota has a couple of engine options to squeeze under the bonnet of the fiery new Corolla GR but the safe money is on the same 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine (192kW/360Nm) as the Yaris GR – but potentially with more power.

This could also see the Corolla hot hatch get the same all-wheel-drive system and manual transmission as its smaller sibling, which in turn would make the vehicle potentially very expensive given the Yaris GR is tipped to cost at least $50,000.

The other possibility is for Toyota to pilfer the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine (180kW/350Nm) from its luxury brand Lexus, from vehicles like the RC 300 coupe, and deploy a more affordable front-drive pocket rocket to take on the Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Whatever powertrain the new Toyota Corolla hero car is hooked up to, it’ll get a reworked suspension, brakes and tyre package and should become both a genuine apex predator and Toyota's first bona-fide small hot hatch.

As previously reported, the Corolla GR is almost certain to be offered in Australia, where the Japanese brand's sales and marketing boss Sean Hanley says it’s a must-have car for the local market leader.

“While nothing has been officially confirmed on GR Corolla at this time, I can tell you quite categorically, if one were to become available from our global line-up in right-hand drive we’d be most definitely very keen to bring it here,” he previously told carsales.

Hanley refused to talk about specifics but the senior Toyota Australia exec admitted it would be a genuine performance car.

“Anything that Toyota puts the GR brand on will be a genuine performance car. We’re very excited about what GR has in the market for this year in Australia and we’re even more excited about what GR will bring to our brand in Australia in the future,” he added.

As it stands today, there is only one go-fast Toyota GR (Gazoo Racing) branded model available in Australia, the Supra, which will be joined by the Yaris GR in November.

The Toyota Corolla GR is tipped to be the third model from the high-performance sub-brand, but the C-HR small SUV is expected to get a look-in as well.