Toyota prices GR Corolla from $62,300 + ORC

By MATT CAMPBELL

TOYOTA Australia has announced the GR Corolla hatchback will be priced from $62,300 before on-road costs, the 221kW all-wheel drive hot hatch to be offered in two distinct trim levels from launch.

An entry-level five-seat version known as the GR Corolla GTS is the first model to arrive in Australia, powered by a gruntier version of the 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine found in the smaller and cheaper GR Yaris model. Toyota says it has secured 700 examples of the GR Corolla GTS in its first year on sale.

The more hardcore two-seat model, known as Morizo Edition, will set buyers back $77,800 before on-road costs. It will arrive later in 2023, but will be limited to only 25 units for Australia. 

Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations, said the new GR Corolla models will herald a new era for the Corolla nameplate in this country.

“We think it sits in a class of its own. Subaru no longer offers the WRX STI. The new Honda Civic Type R is front-wheel drive, and (Volkswagen) Golf R is quite a different car to our rally-bred GR Corolla,” he said.

Mr Hanley admitted that the starting price – at more than 50 per cent higher than a base model Corolla hatchback – is a tall ask for some, but he believes the brand can justify it thanks to the performance on offer. 

“Our pricing is consistent with the US and Japan,” he said. “It’s not cheap, but it is great value for what it offers.

“This is not merely a hot-hatch, it’s an out and out performance car,” he said. 

The GR Corolla GTS runs the aforementioned three-cylinder engine, though Toyota claims the mill has been tuned to produce a “boosted” 221kW of power (at 6500rpm) and 370Nm (from 3000-5550rpm). It is sold exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission, and uses Toyota’s GR-Four all-wheel drive system with Torsen limited slip differentials front and rear.

Standard equipment for the GTS includes an 8.0-inch touchscreen media system with Toyota Connected Services, sat nav and smartphone mirroring technology (wired Android Auto, wireless Apple CarPlay), as well as a 12.3-inch driver info display and colour head-up display, too. Keyless entry and push-button start is standard, too.

The cabin is finished with heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, wireless phone charging, dual-zone climate control, an eight-speaker stereo system from JBL, and seats trimmed in suede and synthetic leather with “contrast silver stitching”. Aluminium pedals and a leather-steering wheel from the GR Yaris complete the cabin.

Outside, the GR Corolla GTS is clad with 18-inch Enkei alloy wheels with Yokohama tyres, a triple-exit exhaust, additional air intakes, unique front and rear bumpers to accommodate the car’s wider track, and it is available in a choice of Glacier White, Ebony (black), Liquid Mercury metallic, and Feverish Red mica metallic. 

The Morizo Edition uses the same 1.6L engine but ups the torque figure to 400Nm, while also scoring transmission ratios to “make better use of the extra torque”. 

The Morizo model is between 35-45 kilograms lighter, too - losing the rear bench seat while also seeing upgraded interior finishes including model-specific bucket seats with red stitching, red seatbelts, suede trim for the steering wheel, shifter and park brake, and a few other red highlights in the cabin.

The Toyota Corolla has been on sale in Australia since 1967, and over that time, the brand has sold more than 1.56 million examples.

Australia is the only market outside of Japan that offers both the GR Yaris and GR Corolla hatchback models.