Toyota Gets Serious: Hot Hatch Corolla GR Could Debut With 250HP

Toyota is thought to be readying a GR-badged performance version of the Corolla that could hit the market in 2023.

On the back of the positive reception to the exciting Toyota GR Yaris, the Japanese marque is allegedly looking to install the same turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine into the Corolla. In the GR Yaris, this engine muscles out an impressive 268 hp but it remains to be seen if the GR Corolla will have quite as much grunt with Auto Express suggesting it could be de-tuned to around 250 hp.

CANADIANCOMMENTS - 2/11/2020 12:07:50 PM

+2 Boost

257 or 268hp is great in a tiny car, even better with AWD. But the meat of the hot hatch market is 300-315hp. This is a big step up, but it is on the top step with the Subaru STI, Golf R or the Honda Civic R.

TomM - 2/11/2020 1:53:36 PM

+3 Boost

Price means everything here - but still - people do not buy Toyota Corolla performance cars - they should have come up with a NEW NAME for the car.

HoustonMidtown - 2/11/2020 2:59:25 PM

+2 Boost

Performance Corolla - LOL

CANADIANCOMMENTS - 2/11/2020 7:01:29 PM

+2 Boost

The should bring back the Corolla SR5 Wagon from the 80's that was cool. Compete with the Honda CRV.

MDarringer - 2/11/2020 7:59:33 PM

0 Boost

Imagine a GTI with Toyota quality. I'm interested.

dlin - 2/11/2020 8:13:02 PM

+2 Boost

For what? Might as well put that engine in 86 than this thing

CANADIANCOMMENTS - 2/11/2020 8:45:25 PM

+2 Boost

Head of Toyota is now saying he wants to build a sports car that is purely Toyota. Apparently the FT86 and Supra were not worth doing that way but a GR Yaris AWD is. This screamer will be sold in the EU and Japan, but I am not sure a 2 door $40k car from Toyota will be sold in North America. Linked to the WRC Yaris is makes sense for them to make it. A Corolla version is a bit too far removed from WRC to benefit from it's halo.

MDarringer - 2/11/2020 9:26:07 PM

0 Boost

This also slipped past people here: Toyota has completed its 20% ownership goal of Subaru--Toyota can effectively call the shots--and they plan to continue buying more of Subaru.

CANADIANCOMMENTS - 2/11/2020 10:14:56 PM

+2 Boost

They should quitely start putting Toyota engines and transmissions in Subaru's. The faithful may object, but they will slowly get used to the reliability.

MDarringer - 2/11/2020 10:39:47 PM

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@CC YES! Subaru engines are nightmares. They leak oil. They can have catastrophic valve train failures. They are also rough and noisy. ALL Subarus would be infinitely better off with smooth, durable, reliable, high-quality TOYOTA engines.

And while you're at it, replace the antiquated "symmetrical AWD" with Toyota's better technology. Subaru concocted the "symmetrical" BS because it could not afford--at the time--to do a modern, AWD system.

carloslassiter - 2/11/2020 10:16:32 PM

+1 Boost

And people are up in arms about the BMW grill?