2023 Toyota GR Corolla: What we know so far about the new fire-breathing Volkswagen Golf R, Hyundai i30 N, Honda Civic Type R and Ford Focus ST rival

Toyota is keeping its foot down as it accelerates its image transformation, and next on the GR agenda is the Corolla-based hot hatch.

With the GR Supra, GR Yaris and new GR86 all set to be in Australian dealerships in 2022, attention turns to what we know about the next Gazoo Racing addition to the fleet.

The long-awaited GR Corolla is set to be revealed sometime this year, but likely won’t hit local roads until 2023.

When it does land, it will give the Japanese giant a true rival to the likes of the Volkswagen Golf R, Hyundai i30 N, Honda Civic Type R and other small-sized hot hatches.

Here’s everything we know so far about the GR Corolla.

New name, same body

While there’s no official confirmation, it’s expected that the new model will be called the GR Corolla, following the trend seen with the rest of the range. There has been speculation that it will be badged as ‘GR-Four,’ but that’s what Toyota calls its all-wheel-drive systems rather than a specific model name.

While the GR Corolla will share much in common with GR Yaris in terms of componentry, there will be a major difference - the body. While the GR Yaris shares little in common with the standard Yaris, being a unique three-door model with a wider body front and rear to meet the company’s demands for its new World Rally Car, the Corolla won’t be a homologation special.

That means it’s expected to feature a largely standard five-door Corolla body, albeit with the typical hot hatch pumped out guards and aerodynamic additions, like a new front bumper, rear wing and diffuser. Also expect new alloy wheels and stickier tyres, likely the same Dunlop SportMaxx rubber as the standard GR Yaris. 

Three-cylinders, all-wheel drive

The GR Corolla was effectively confirmed by Toyota when it launched the GR Yaris, with the company’s executives admitting at the time that it didn’t build its all-new 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine just for one model.

While it may be missing one cylinder compared to traditional hot hatches, the three-pot engine packs a punch in the GR Yaris, making 200kW/370Nm. 

However, while it will be the same engine, it’s expected to get a new tune, with reports from Japan indicating the Corolla will pack 221kW to compensate for its larger body and increased weight. For comparison, the new Golf R makes 235kW/400Nm, the i30 N 206kW/392Nm and the Ford Focus ST 206kW/420Nm.

The engine will be mated to the same six-speed manual gearbox as the GR Yaris, and the same Torsen limited-slip differentials used on the GR Yaris is expected to transfer over to the Corolla, saving Toyota development money while still offering competitive performance.

The six-speed manual will no doubt please purists, but given the preference for automatic hot hatches in Australia (and other markets), adding a two-pedal option would help the GR Corolla’s sales chances.

Fortunately, recent reports from Japan indicate Toyota is working on an auto option for the future, but likely not until 2024 at the earliest. An eight-speed torque converter version seems the most likely candidate, as Toyota doesn’t offer dual-clutch in any model so far and developing one specifically for the Corolla would be cost-prohibitive.

How much will it cost?

This is the trickiest area to speculate on for the newest GR model because while it will share much in common with the Yaris, the Corolla could actually be cheaper for Toyota to develop, throwing off the conventional wisdom of models being priced based on size.

Given it’s still at least 12 months away from local showrooms, it’s too early to get a clear indication on how much the GR Corolla will cost, so it’s all just speculation at this stage.

Assuming the Corolla retains its five-door body as expected, it should be cheaper to develop and build than the GR Yaris and its bespoke three-door body, potentially allowing Toyota to price the GR Corolla at a similar level to the $49,500 plus on-road costs for the standard GR Yaris.

However, given it will be a physically larger model and will compete against the likes of the Golf R and Civic Type R, both of which will be priced above $60,000, Toyota could position the GR Corolla with a price above the $54,500 for the GR Yaris Rallye.

There’s also the question of whether Toyota will offer a Rallye version of the GR Corolla, with a centre diff and better Michelin Pilot Sport tyres, or just stick with a single variant.

Either way, the addition of the GR Corolla will continue to add excitement and performance to Toyota’s line-up - which is exactly what the Japanese brand wants.