The Toyota GR Corolla specs have been announced ahead of its 2023 debut. So, if you’re based in the US or Japan, here’s what you can look forward to.
Toyota has been nailing it recently. First there was the reborn GR Supra, then the rally-bred GR Yaris. After that, they blessed us with the scarce but much sought-after GR 86. Truth be told, of all the marques out there, nobody has been outputting ‘everyman’ sports cars at the rate that Toyota has. And now, there’s a fourth model on its way.
Ok, so we’ve known about the GR Corolla for a little while, but Toyota has been light on pricing and trim details until recently. We now know that the trim levels that you’ll be able to choose from will vary depending upon what side of the world you’re on. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the full Toyota GR Corolla specs and pricing:
Toyota GR Corolla: Central Traits
Now, although there are key differences between the USDM Corollas and JDM Corollas, there are naturally a few core mainstays. The GR-FOUR all-wheel drive system is one, which offers three different driving modes. Those can equip the car with 50:50, 60:40, or 70:30 torque splits depending on driver preference.
The engine remains the same across all GR Corollas too. Just like the GR Yaris, you’ll find a 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine under the hood, mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Another thing that’s manual on the GR Corolla is the handbrake, unlike regular variants of the car, which use an electronic solution instead.
It would’ve been amiss for Toyota to ignore the car’s underpinnings, and although it does share plenty with the standard Corolla, this GR edition does have a few extra flourishes. The suspension, for example, is made up of a MacPherson front/double wishbone rear system, and there’s a wider track width at either end of the car too. If you opt for the Morizo pack (more on that later), you’ll get monotube dampers, lowering the car’s ride height by around 5mm.
American Market Specs & Pricing
The United States is arguably the biggest target market for the Toyota GR Corolla, so we’ll start our regional focus there. When the car arrives in dealerships next year, the US will have access to three different trim levels. Priced from $35,900, ‘Core’ is the entry-level variant, and features open diffs on both axles. If that’s not performance-focused enough for you though, the $42,900 limited edition ‘Circuit’ trim will offer LSDs instead. Alternatively, if you miss out on a Circuit car, you can simply buy a Core model with an added Performance Pack, which throws in the limited-slip diffs at an extra cost.
The aforementioned upper trim level is ‘Morizo’ – which happens to be the nickname of Toyota boss and avid car enthusiast, Akio Toyoda. As well as the fettled suspension, the Morizo trim adds Enkei rims and an Alcantara interior. Plenty is stripped out of the car too for a more track-focused approach. The rear seats, for example, are removed, while the infotainment system is downsized too. Circuit and Morizo edition cars also receive red brake calipers over the 14-inch front/12-inch rear discs. Priced at $49,990, the Morizo-spec GR Corolla is certainly one for the hardcore drivers.
How do these prices stack up against the car’s rivals? Well, for some extra context, the new front-wheel drive FL5-gen Honda Civic Type R starts at $42,695.
Japanese Market Specs
Things are a little different over in the East. Instead of three trim levels, the Toyota GR Corolla only comes in two over there. ‘RZ’ is the entry level trim in Japan, and looks rather similar on paper to the American Core models. There’s no mid-range Circuit edition though. Instead, if you don’t fancy the RZ, you’ll have to opt for the range-topping Morizo, which is even more of a track day proposition than the US version.
In Japan, the Morizo car doesn’t gain any power (figures remain at 300PS across all GR Corollas), but torque is boosted from 273 to 295 lb ft. It gets the same weight-saving treatment as its American counterpart too, reducing kerb weight to 1440kg. Chassis reinforcement is another notable upgrade within the Morizo package, supplied in the form of braces.
Of course, the existence of a JDM Toyota GR Corolla means that right-hand drive cars are already in existence. However, if you’re reading this in Britain, don’t get your hopes up. As things stand, there’s no apparent interest on Toyota’s part to send the GR Corolla to UK dealers.
Oh well. The GR Yaris is hardly a sub-par alternative…
