Toyota GR Corolla delayed
Tough 200kW hot hatch and wild wagon still in the works, but Aussie arrival unlikely before 2023The Toyota GR Corolla was originally expected to break cover in September 2021, with sales to begin shortly after, but new intel suggests the high-performance hatch and wagon may not go on sale in Japan until mid-2022.
As such, we’d be unlikely to see Toyota’s long-awaited rival for the Hyundai i30 N and Volkswagen Golf GTI in Australia before 2023, assuming the model development program continues.
Expected to be powered by the same 200kW/370Nm 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine as found in the fiery Toyota GR Yaris, the Toyota GR Corolla was inadvertently confirmed by the official Toyota USA website back in May 2020.
Toyota has also trademarked the GR Corolla name.
The Toyota Corolla hot hatch is also tipped to get a sportier chassis tune with lowered and stiffer suspension, bigger brakes, performance tyres and requisite bodywork upgrades.
New details published by Japanese auto website Best Car suggest global marketing will take place from mid-2022.
The website also reports the tyre-frying Corolla will not only get the same powertrain as the GR Yaris, but its clever all-wheel drive system as well.
That said, the latest data from Japan suggests the GR-tuned Corolla will be slightly less extreme than the GR Yaris – and potentially more affordable – with a focus around on-road behaviour instead of a tough-as-nails rally car replica.
Pricing will be key to its success in Australia and overseas, and if Toyota can get it here for under $50,000 it will certainly throw the cat amongst the pigeons in this segment.
Toyota Australia has repeatedly indicated its desire to offer a Corolla that can rival the Golf GTI – or even Golf R.
“What we do know is that Australia loves hot hatches and we’ve always shown an interest in offering a high-performance Corolla locally, I’ll tell you that up front,” Toyota Australia’s sales and marketing chief, Sean Hanley, last told carsales.
Today, a Toyota Australia spokesperson wouldn’t confirm or deny the GR Corolla was in the works, stating that a red-hot five-door Corolla was “not on our radar at the moment, but we’ve put our hand up for anything with a GR badge that becomes available globally”.
“The small hatch segment is one of the largest passenger vehicle segments, and Corolla has been a great seller for Toyota, and of course we’d look at bringing a high-performance model in that segment if it became available,” the spokesperson said.
“We know Aussies have a strong appetite for high-performance vehicles.”
Both hatch and wagon versions of the Toyota GR Corolla are understood to be in development, and the wagon variant is expected to be considered for Australia – in addition to the hatch – as Toyota Oz studies the market viability of the longer body style.
What do you think? Is the world ready for a fire-breathing Toyota GR Corolla? Have your say in the comments area below.
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