New Toyota GR Corolla in South Africa – Pricing revealed

The Toyota GR Corolla is set to receive a major update in South Africa in the near future, adding a new gearbox, visual enhancements, and a small bump in torque.

Toyota has yet to make an official announcement regarding the car’s launch, but TopAuto can report that the revised hot hatch will start at R985,200 in South Africa.

According to our sources at Duoporta Vehicle Information Specialists, the Core trim level is being dropped, and the Corolla will now be offered in two “Circuit” specifications with either a manual or a new automatic transmission.

Prices for the manual will start at R985,200, while the automatic will ask for seven figures with a window sticker of R1,010,700.

It will also retain the 3-year/100,000km warranty and 9-service/90,000km service plan sold with the current models.

What’s new

The GR Corolla made its South African debut in 2023, functioning as a larger alternative to the coveted GR Yaris.

The new version will receive a modest cosmetic update, gaining a revised front end with new fog lamps and more prominent black inserts on the bumper.

The biggest change will be the addition of the fan-requested eight-speed automatic gearbox – something that was absent from the original launch.

Thankfully, the six-speed manual box is not being phased out, meaning that buyers will have the choice of their preferred transmission once the Corolla arrives in South Africa.

Anyone who opts for the automatic will still have a degree of manual control thanks to the addition of paddle shifters on the Sport steering wheel.

Since it’s an update and not a new generation, the hot hatch will retain its 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine, but that doesn’t mean nothing has changed under the hood.

The power reading has dropped from 221kW to 210kW, but the torque has increased by 30Nm to reach a new total of 400Nm.

It’s unclear whether this will have a noticeable impact on performance, but as a point of reference, the current models can accelerate from 0-100km/h in roughly 4.9 seconds.

They can also reach a top speed of 230km/h.

The engine isn’t the only aspect of the performance car that has been tweaked, as the Gazoo Racing team has made improvements to the car’s shock absorbers, steering, and brakes.

The full spec sheet will only be confirmed at launch, but it should feature all of the nice-to-haves we’ve come to expect, such as automatic LED headlights and daytime-running lights, 18-inch cast-alloy rims, heated bucket seats, leather and suede upholstery, aluminium pedals, keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, a digital driver display, and a large infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

It should also feature a variety of safety and assistance functions, such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, front and rear parking sensors, a reverse camera.

2026 Toyota GR Corolla