Toyota GR Corolla: Hottest Corolla Finally Priced
The Toyota GR Corolla aims to become an instant classic for purists, just like its GR Yaris sibling, which has been tearing up the hot supermini segment.
It’s no ordinary Corolla; instead, it has been honed by the folks at the Gazoo Racing division, whose works can be traced back to the full-blown Yaris mentioned above and the GR Supra and GR 86 models.
Speaking of the GR Corrola, Toyota has released pricing for its hot hatch, scheduled to launch locally in June, albeit in limited numbers.
Available in Core and Circuit guises, the GR Corolla packs a strengthened version of the 1.6-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged engine that also powers the GR Yaris. The engine spews out 221 kW and 370 Nm channelled to all-fours via a 6-speed manual gearbox putting it up against well-established rivals such as the VW Golf 8 R, Audi S3 and Honda Civic Type R.
As a reminder, it sits on 18” gloss black 15-spoke cast alloy wheels wrapped in 235/40R18 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres while the interior, on the other hand, features a full TFT metre developed for GR, a short-stroke shift lever, a mechanical handbrake for better control when ‘drifting’ as well as 12.3” digital infotainment and 8” infotainment systems.
Regarding the pricing, Toyota asks for R816,500 for the Core variant and R876,100 for the Circuit model.
The GR Corolla ushers the brand towards a segment rivals have owned for many years. With all the attributes, it will be like no Corolla that has come before it.