Hatchback a ‘pricey proposition’

Toyota Australia has announced its GR Corolla hatchback will be priced from $62,300 before onroad costs.

The 221kw all-wheel drive hot hatch will be offered in two distinct trim levels from launch.

An entry-level five-seat version known as the GR Corolla GTS is the first model to arrive in Australia, powered by a gruntier version of the 1.6litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine found in the smaller and cheaper GR Yaris model.

Toyota says it has secured 700 examples of the GR Corolla GTS in its first year on sale.

The more hardcore two-seat model, known as Morizo Edition, will set buyers back $77,800 before on-road costs.

It will arrive later in 2023, but will be limited to only 25 units for Australia.

Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia vicepresident of sales, marketing and franchise operations, said the new GR Corolla models would herald a new era for the nameplate in this country.

“We think it sits in a class of its own,” he said.

“Subaru no longer offers the WRX STI. The new Honda Civic Type R is front-wheel drive, and the Volkswagen Golf R is quite a different car to our rally-bred GR Corolla.”

Mr Hanley admitted the starting price – at more than 50 percent higher than a base model Corolla hatchback – was a tall ask for some, but believed the brand could justify it thanks to the performance on offer.

“Our pricing is consistent with the US and Japan,” he said.

“It’s not cheap, but it is great value for what it offers.

“This is not merely a hot-hatch, it’s an out and out performance car.”

The GR Corolla GTS runs the aforementioned three-cylinder engine, though Toyota claims the mill has been tuned to produce a ‘boosted’ 221kw of power at 6500rpm and 370Nm from 3000-5550rpm.

It is sold exclusively with a sixspeed manual transmission, and uses Toyota’s Gr-four all-wheel drive system with Torsen limited slip differentials front and rear.

Standard equipment for the GTS includes an eight-inch touchscreen media system with Toyota Connected

Services, satellite navigation and smartphone mirroring technology – wired Android Auto, wireless Apple Carplay – as well as a 12.3-inch driver information display and colour headup display.

Keyless entry and push-button start is standard.

The cabin is finished with heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, wireless phone charging, dual-zone climate control, an eight-speaker stereo system from JBL and seats trimmed in suede and synthetic leather with contrast silver stitching.

Aluminium pedals and a leathersteering wheel from the GR Yaris complete the cabin.

Outside, the GR Corolla GTS is clad with 18-inch Enkei alloy wheels with Yokohama tyres, a triple-exit exhaust, additional air intakes and unique front and rear bumpers to accommodate the car’s wider track. It is available in a choice of glacier white, ebony, liquid mercury metallic, and feverish red mica metallic.

The Morizo Edition uses the same 1.6L engine, but ups the torque figure to 400Nm, while also scoring transmission ratios to ‘make better use of the extra torque’.

The Morizo model is between 35 and 45 kilograms lighter – losing the rear bench seat while also seeing upgraded interior finishes including model-specific bucket seats with red stitching, red seatbelts, suede trim for the steering wheel, shifter and park brake, and a few other red highlights in the cabin.

The Toyota Corolla has been on sale in Australia since 1967.

During that time, the brand has sold more than 1.56 million examples.

Australia is the only market outside of Japan that offers both the GR Yaris and GR Corolla hatchback models.