2023 Toyota GR Corolla revealed: Australian launch due late 2022

The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla has been revealed ahead of its Australian debut and, at first glance, it looks to have delivered everything buyers had asked for.

Taking much of the specialised tech from the baby GR Yaris and amping the aggression up still further, Gazoo Racing, Toyota’s go-faster division, has created something that could well put the likes of the Hyundai i30 N, the Focus ST and the Renault Megane Trophy on notice.

Where the three-cylinder engine in the Yaris packs 200kW, in this instance, the 1.6-litre three pot punches with a hearty 220kW and 370Nm, enough to give it an advantage over the 206kW Hyundai and Ford and a mere kilowatt down on the Renault.

UPDATE, June 2: Two-seat version announced

Need something a little hotter? The GR Corolla will also come in a track-ready two-seater form. Oh boy.

The story to here

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The engine has been strengthened to cope with the additional power, but system inflow needs to be matched with system outflow, and to that end the GR Corolla gets a trick valve-equipped triple-branched exhaust.

The GR Corolla will be offered with a broadly similar driveline architecture as the GR Yaris Rallye, which means a six-speed manual gearbox driving through a pair of Torsen differentials to all four Yokohama Advan Apex V601-shod corners.

The target weight for the all-wheel drive Corolla GR is 1475kg, within a kilo of the current Subaru WRX but significantly lighter than a Golf R.

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The divergent details are particularly intriguing. For the GR Corolla, Toyota has made a subtle distinction, separating the system’s 4WD torque distribution modes from the general Drive modes, which marshal the settings for accelerator mapping, steering assistance and such.

The manual gear change has also been sharpened with a short-throw gear shift.

Front and rear track widths have been teased out incrementally over the standard Corolla while cooling is aided by a vast front intake with outlets at the front fenders and the raised bonnet bulge.

Beneath the skin, Toyota’s engineers have given the suspension every chance by bracing the chassis, with additional metalwork between the rear wheel wells, beneath the transmission tunnel and ahead of the fuel tank.

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Reducing the variables of the sprung inputs through the suspension has allowed Toyota to focus on enhancing wheel control and a more aggressive alignment. Pillow-ball bushings, firmer springs, and revised damper rates also feature.

Opposed-caliper disc brakes are also standard as well as a manual handbrake. There’s no word yet on whether the handbrake temporarily disengages drive to the rear treads as it does on the GR Yaris but anything that avoids the combination of a manual gearbox and an automatic handbrake wins our approval.

Built alongside the GR Yaris at Toyota’s Motomachi plant and sold in five-door guise only, the GR Corolla nets the latest Toyota Safety Sense package, and features an instrument cluster based around a custom TFT display.

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Quick Corollas: A quick history

The last convincing Corolla hot hatch arrived in 1983 with the launch of the AE86 Sprinter and its front drive sibling, the Corolla GT, powered by the 86kW 4A-GELC engine.

Since then there have been half-baked attempts like the Corolla Sportivo and the JDM-only Blade Master G 3.5-litre V6, but nothing that has approached best in class.

The 12th generation E210 Corolla, launched here in 2018 has always hinted that the bones of a great hot hatch could be lurking within. The GA-C chassis and the option of a six-speed manual transmission whet our appetites, and such is the system cohesion of the E210’s dynamics, it was clear that a concerted effort by Gazoo racing could produce something extremely special.

It now looks as if that vehicle will finally be realised, sitting alongside GR86, GR Yaris and GR Supra models in a four-pronged assault on the enthusiast market.

Click any of the images in this story for more photos

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When will the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla come to Australia?

Australian deliveries will commence in Q4 of this year. There’s still no word on prices and detailed trim levels.

Toyota has supplied us with the development target specs for the Japanese market edition, which are detailed below.

Toyota GR Corolla specs

2023 Toyota Corolla: How it compares to rivals

Power, torque, power to weight

Acceleration (GR Corolla 0-100km/h not yet available)

Pricing (GR Corolla price not yet available)