Toyota GR Corolla 2023 Review

Initially, just a single 2023 Toyota GR Corolla GTS variant will be available until the ultra-focused Morizo Edition joins the range from mid-year.

Pricing starts from $62,300 plus on-road costs, nestling the GR Corolla into a little sweet spot above the Hyundai i30 N and Volkswagen Golf GTI but below the Honda Civic Type R and VW Golf R.

Toyota Australia had originally sourced 500 cars for the first 12 months but has managed to increase this to 700, though demand is still expected to outstrip supply with 4900 expressions of interest received.

Four colours are available, with premium paint an extra $575.

In an effort to eradicate buyers wanting only to flip the car for a quick profit, Toyota is requesting information from customers such as car club involvement and previous purchasing history, but admits it can only do so much.

Despite its undoubted performance potential, the GR Corolla GTS is still covered by Toyota’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with an extra two years’ coverage on the engine and driveline.

While track use isn’t specifically covered by the warranty, Toyota says it understands that many customers will want to use their car in such an environment and thus will look at claims on a case-by-case basis.

Capped-price servicing is offered for the first three years/60,000km at $300 per visit, but the intervals are six months or 10,000km so those visits will be frequent.

Essentially, the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla adopts the specification of the regular Corolla range’s ZR flagship.

This includes keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, heated leather and suede front seats (manually adjustable), heated steering wheel, 18-inch ENKEI alloy wheels and LED lighting.

Happily, there’s no need for performance fans to sacrifice safety, with the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla benefiting from the standard car’s full safety suite.

In addition to seven airbags, a reversing camera and parking sensors at both ends, Toyota’s Safety Sense system offers autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, active cruise control, intersection assist, emergency steering assist, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, speed sign recognition, auto high beam, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert.

A customisable 12.3-inch digital instrument display headlines the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla’s technology offering, with multiple screens offering all manner of vehicle information.

The head-up display is also very useful, showing not only speed but satellite navigation instructions as well.

Infotainment is handled by an 8.0-inch touch-screen, and while it isn’t exactly cutting edge in size, speed or sophistication, it includes Apple CarPlay (wireless) and Android Auto, native sat-nav, AM/FM/DAB+ radio and Bluetooth, and plays through an eight-speaker JBL stereo.

A wireless charging pad is standard, plus there’s a USB-C charging port in the centre console.

The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla shares the GR Yaris’s remarkable 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine, albeit in an enhanced form.

Greater fuel pump and oil cooler capacity, 10 per cent more boost (now 25psi total) and stronger exhaust valvetrain all assist, but the main improvement is courtesy of reduced back pressure from the Corolla’s unusual triple-exit exhaust.

All up, Toyota found another 21kW, and while maximum torque of 370Nm is the same, it’s now available from 3000-5500rpm rather than 3000-4600rpm in the Yaris.

To make the most of the extra power and help offset the Corolla’s larger, heavier five-door body, the final drive ratios have been slightly shortened, though the six-speed manual gearbox itself is identical to the Yaris.

Toyota claims a very precise 0-100km/h time of 5.29sec, with a top speed of 230km/h.

Claimed combined fuel consumption is 8.4L/100km using premium 98 RON fuel only, dropping into the 6s on the highway and increasing well into the teens when you dip into the performance.

The easiest way to approach an explanation of the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla’s driving experience is probably to compare it to its little brother, the GR Yaris, as there’s a fairly good chance if you’re reading this you’ve already read plenty about that car.

Unsurprisingly, there is a fair degree of similarity between the two, especially in a straight line. The 0-100km/h figures suggest there isn’t much in it in pure performance and that’s how it feels behind the wheel.

The Yaris’s 200-odd kilogram weight advantage means it’s likely to be quicker in the real world but the combination of the Corolla’s extra power, wider torque spread and shorter final drive mean you’re certainly not short-changed.

It is a truly astonishing engine. If you didn’t know the specs you’d maybe guess a large-capacity four-cylinder, such is its torque and response, yet it revs with enthusiasm beyond 7000rpm and it sounds great, too. Not artificially great like so many of its rivals, with synthesised sound and pop ’n’ bangs, but just a pure noise.

The six-speed manual is the ideal partner, with a great shift, light and accurate, easy clutch and closely-stacked ratios that give you a gear for each corner. Or, like around the tight and twisting South Circuit at Sydney Motorsport Park, the choice of second or third for many corners depending on the conditions and your driving style.

Negotiating those corners is where the GR Corolla differs from the Yaris, but in a generally positive way. One of the biggest improvements is the driving position, the Corolla mounting you low in the car compared to the Yaris’s elevated perch.

There’s also greater vision and the wider tracks and longer wheelbase make it more stable and confidence-inspiring.

Combine this with the all-wheel drive traction and you have a car you can quickly grab by the scruff of the neck and throw around regardless of the conditions.

Consistent rain throughout our track drive posed no problems for the GR Corolla, even on its Yokohama tyres that look particularly focused on its shoulder, but still have plenty of tread grooves to clear the water.

On the recently resurfaced bits of Sydney Motorsport Park it dragged out sufficient grip to generate tyre squeal (in the wet!) yet on the older parts of the track that feel like they’ve been doused in oil it would gently and transparently lose traction front and rear so the slides weren’t sudden or scary.

The steering is very direct with fantastic weighting, the brakes are strong and it happily completes lap after lap after lap after lap (I might have had a few goes…).

On the downside, it doesn’t have the agility of the smaller, lighter Yaris or its adjustability, but the Corolla isn’t worse, just different in character.

The all-wheel drive system does have three modes that alter the drive split from 60:40 (Normal) to 30:70 (Sport) to 50:50 (Track) but they don’t make a huge amount of difference. Yes, if you apply the throttle very early on a wet track in Sport you will get some power oversteer, but in most scenarios the car feels pretty similar regardless of the mode chosen.

On the road, the GR Corolla is eminently liveable. There is a bit of road noise at higher speeds and the non-adaptive dampers are certainly on the firmer side, but anyone familiar with hot hatches or performance cars in general are unlikely to find it an issue.

There’s also greater vision, not to mention the added practicality of the five-door bodyshell.

Don’t expect too much of the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla interior, as it’s a $60,000-plus car with an interior that’s shared with far cheaper variants.

However, nor is it a letdown. As mentioned, the driving position is great, the commonly-used touch points (steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake) are all leather-wrapped and there are all the basic niceties mentioned earlier like a head-up display, heated seats, dual-zone climate etc.

Unlike the Yaris, carrying passengers is now an option though the Corolla’s rear seat won’t set any new benchmarks in terms of space or amenities.

As with all ’Rollas, though, the boot is terrible. At just 213 litres, it only barely accommodates hand luggage for two people.

Just where the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla fits into the hot hatch hierarchy will take a comparison test or two to find out, but it’s certainly in the mix among a very talented field.

Crucially, it offers something different to the current players, with a rawer experience than the Volkswagen Golf R and all-wheel drive traction the Hyundai i30 N and Renault Megane RS lack.

Whether by accident or design, the GR Corolla perfectly occupies the vacancy left by the now-defunct Subaru WRX STi.

Strong rally heritage, all-wheel drive traction, heavily turbocharged engine, track prowess – all the ingredients are there.

It’s better, though. Stronger engine, more powerful brakes, more precise steering, more adjustable handling.

We’ve had to wait a long, long time for a proper Corolla hot hatch worth celebrating, but the good news is it’s been worth the wait.

2023 Toyota GR Corolla GTS at a glance:
Price: $62,300 (plus on-road costs)
Available: From March 7, 2023
Engine: 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 221kW/370Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 8.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 194g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested