√2023 Toyota GR Corolla hot hatch edges closer to Australia

Government documents reveal the GR Corolla is just around the corner, with a track-focused two-seater version to follow.

The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla is one step closer to local showrooms, with the high-performance hatchback appearing on an official Australian Government database.

Toyota received approval for the GR Corolla from the Department of Infrastructure on Thursday, suggesting the model’s arrival – previously indicated to occur between October and December 2022 – is just around the corner.

It’s understood just 500 examples of the GR Corolla are being brought here initially, with Australian-market variants to put out 220kW from the 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine – a drop of 4kW compared with overseas models, thanks to “market-specific tuning”.

Despite the minor shortfall, the GR Corolla still carries a 20kW advantage over its smaller sibling – the GR Yaris.

Power is sent to all four wheels through a six-speed manual transmission, with the vehicle able to split its 370Nm torque output from 50:50 to 30:70 front-to-rear.

While Toyota Australia has yet to announce local pricing, dealerships canvassed in May 2022 told Drive they expected the hot hatch to go on sale for between $60,000 and $70,000 – though this hasn’t been confirmed.

“All of our recent Toyota Gazoo Racing model offerings have been extremely popular with enthusiasts,” read a Toyota Australia statement issued to Drive at the time.

“As with past GR models, Toyota currently expects the supply of GR Corolla for Australia will be limited in its initial production volumes and we will continue to negotiate for as much supply as we can for this important new high-performance model.”

Like the GR Yaris, the GR Corolla has had to undergo a separate approval process with the Department of Infrastructure, likely due to structural changes to its body compared with the standard Corolla it’s based on.

Despite the many changes to improve chassis stiffness and upgrade handling on the hatchback, an even more hardcore version of the GR Corolla is on the way next year.

Known as the ‘Morizo Edition’ in overseas markets – named after the pseudonym used by Toyota President Akio Toyoda when racing – the vehicle loses its rear seats to contribute to a 30kg weight saving, sees further improvements to its chassis and suspension, gets stickier Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 track tyres, and gains 30Nm for a total of 400Nm.

With orders for the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla to open soon, local pricing and timing is expected to be announced shortly.

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