Toyota GR Corolla – Is an announcement for South Africa coming?

Rumours have been floating about that the new GR Corolla may be coming to South Africa.

Recently, there has been industry speculation that following the rampant success of its sibling, the GR Yaris, in South Africa, Toyota may bring the bigger and more powerful GR hatch to the country soon.

Toyota previously confirmed to TopAuto that it requested the headquarters in Japan to sell the Corolla in local showrooms, but at the time nothing was set in stone.

The company also said that if the new hatch does come to our shores, it “will most likely be in a staggered fashion, as per GR Yaris, with limited allocation dependant on market.”

What is the GR Corolla

The GR Corolla is the second member of Toyota’s high-performance hatchback family, following in the footsteps of the rally-homologated GR Yaris.

It forms part of the sporty Gazoo Racing sub-brand, which is also responsible for athletic Toyotas such as the GR 86 and GR Supra.

The base vehicle for the newcomer is the Corolla Sport hatchback, which has been given a more aggressive aura with 20mm-wider front fenders and 30mm-wider rear fenders, a triple-exhaust outlet, sizeable front bumper air intakes, front fender and hood air outlets, and a carbon fibre-reinforced plastic roof that contributes to rigidity.

The foundation of the Toyota also grew 60mm wider at the front and 85mm wider at the rear to improve stability and control, while 18-inch gloss black wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres grip the tarmac.

In front, the GR Corolla then makes use of a strengthened version of the same 1.6-litre, turbo-petrol engine found in the GR Yaris to produce 224kW and 370Nm – compared to the Yaris’ 198kW and 360Nm.

Power is translated to the ground through a purist six-speed manual box and a specially-adapted GR-Four selectable 4WD system, the latter of which now allows the driver to individually adjust power distribution, accelerator response, steering, and more.

As a result, Toyota said the high-performance Corolla can crack 97km/h (60mph) in 4.99 seconds and manage up to 230km/h.

To further hone its track-holding prowess, rigidity and stability have been enhanced through the fitment of new braces between the rear wheel wells to the under-floor tunnel, and under the floor in front of the fuel tank.