Toyota GR Corolla Touring: Hot wagon imagined

I never thought I’d live to see an AFL premiership win for the Richmond Tigers, let alone three, nearly back-to-back. And then Melbourne, too? These are crazy times, but perhaps the craziest mark of our time is that there’s now a super hot Toyota Corolla. What?

So, while I’m mindful that we ought to just be happy enough that the Big T has come this far, I’ve never been any good at knowing when to stop. Thus, I give you the car we should all be petitioning for: the Toyota GR Corolla Touring.

There are so few wagons on the Australian market, let alone fast ones, that we should really want Gazoo Racing to get this thing to market.

Of course, the Corolla Touring wagon isn’t offered in Australia, and the company has told us it has no plans to bring the stylish longroof here – but, as we discovered with Ford’s Focus and Fiesta ST models, it might be easier to make a business case for a GR Corolla Touring in Australia than for the regular model.

And, I mean… just look at it.

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Rendered by our mate Theo Throttle, this is the kind of wagon that would put the upcoming WRX Sportswagon to shame. (There’s still time to reconsider that ‘no STI’ position, Subaru…) It’d probably make for a compelling and more affordable alternative to the dreamy Golf R wagon, too, while shutting the cool Octavia RS out of the conversation (unless you need more room).

If you need a refresher, the new GR Corolla, revealed last week, draws power from a 1.6-litre turbo petrol three-cylinder engine. Power is rated at 220kW, with 370Nm of torque.

There’s a six-speed manual and all-wheel drive, with a pair of Torsen differentials, and… well, you should read our full write-up here – and check out our spec comparison with its key rivals, too.

Now, come on, Toyota. If BMW M can at long last deliver an M3 Touring wagon, you can do us a GR Corolla Touring.

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Toyota GR Corolla specs