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The hot hatchback market has had quite the history in North America. At first, hot hatchbacks never really got a looking from American car enthusiasts, or indeed, any performance cars of a similar ilk. That all changed when the Civics and Eclipses became favorites of the tuner scene, and The Fast and The Furious franchise made foreign performance models absolute heroes. After that, the compact performance car scene basically exploded, with even the American automakers eventually joining in with their own takes.
Pretty much the only automaker that never really offered a suitable player in this segment was Toyota. While there was the Matrix XRS, and various sporty versions of the Corolla, there was never really a proper hot hatchback on offer. That changes now with the bonkers GR Corolla.
Note: While we wait for official word from consumers on the upcoming GR Corolla, HotCars’ ‘Costs, Facts, And Figures’ rating defaults to 1 out of 10. Once we start fielding what owners think of this upcoming vehicle, we’ll be sure to update the score to reflect what drivers think.
- Turbo three-cylinder
- Manual transmission only
- AWD
- Model: GR Corolla
- Engine/Motor: 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder
- Horsepower: 300 hp
- Torque: 295 lb-ft
- Drivetrain: Transverse front-engine, AWD
- Transmission: 6-speed manual
- Dramatic styling
- Proven, powerful powertrain
- Unstoppable handling
- The looks won’t be to everyone’s taste
- The interior quality is still Corolla
- Slightly steep pricing
2023 GR Corolla Overview
The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla is the first proper performance derivative of the Corolla that Toyota has offered in North America. It’s the second hot hatchback from the automaker to wear a GR badge, after the GR Yaris, which completely exploded onto the scene and many people consider it to be the greatest Toyota of all time. We’d take the GR Yaris over some sports cars any day of the week. Unlike some other preceding Corolla models, the GR Corolla is a proper hot hatchback, and it gives the competition a fair bit to worry about. Toyota has used the hatchback version of the Corolla as a starting point, and has given it some very obvious changes to show that this is not any typical grandparent-spec Toyota.
The front-end gets a much more aggressive front fascia, with a much larger grille to improve engine cooling, as well as functional brake ducts and a small GR badge. On the side, there are some pretty substantial fender flares, shrouding larger and unique alloy wheel designs. They’re also there for another very good reason. At the rear, there’s a big spoiler, and a massive rear diffuser with three, count’em, three exhaust pipes. That equals one exhaust pipe per cylinder, with two being on the corners of the diffuser, and one being in the middle. The GR Corolla debuts in Core and Circuit forms, as well as the ultra hardcore Morizo Edition. It competes with the likes of the VW Golf GTI and Golf R, the Honda Civic Type R, and the Hyundai Veloster N, at least while the latter is still on sale.
2023 GR Corolla Powertrain And Drivetrain
The GR Corolla comes with only one powertrain. The 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder is pretty much identical to that of the GR Yaris, except that it has even more power here. The three pot now puts out 300 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, the latter rising to 295 if you spec the Morizo Edition. That gives this powertrain a specific output of 185 hp per liter, which is 52 more hp per liter than a Ferrari 458 Speciale. Remember that this is, at the end of the day, a Toyota Corolla. This gives the GR Corolla a 0-60 time of around 5.5-seconds. Being a three-cylinder, you can also expect it to have quite a fun engine note. All the power goes to the wheels exclusively through a six-speed manual transmission, as well as Toyota’s GR-FOUR AWD system, which also first debuted on the GR Yaris.
The AWD system allows the driver to choose between various power splits, including sending up to 70% of the power to the rear wheels to get the tail out, as well as a 50/50 split for insane grip and everyday situations. The Morizo Edition, as well as increasing the torque figure, also completely does away with the rear seats, has a closer ratio transmission, and it comes standard with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. However, Toyota will only build 200 examples of the Morizo Edition, so for most buyers, the Core and Circuit trims will do the job. The Circuit trim also includes front and rear limited slip differentials as standard, which should improve handling even further, although you can spec those on the Core trim level if you’d like.
2023 GR Corolla Comfort And Quality
On the inside, there are some subtle changes to let you know that this is a rather special car. The most obvious difference is the manual shifter in the middle, but there are a few other touches as well. It gets a unique steering wheel design, with a GR badge on the bottom spoke. Aluminum pedals and alcantara bucket seats are also on the menu. The gauge cluster is now digital, as it is on all 2023 Corolla models, and it comes with its own unique performance displays. Interestingly, most versions of the GR Corolla retain all their creature comforts, like adaptive cruise control, auto climate control, heated seats, and a backup camera.
Even though this is a fun hot hatchback, Toyota hasn’t forgotten about safety. The GR Corolla comes with a surprising amount of safety features as standard, including the aforementioned adaptive cruise control, auto emergency braking, which includes pedestrian detection, as well as lane departure warning with lane keep assist. Aside from the Morizo Edition, the Corolla seats five passengers, and assuming the GR-FOUR system hasn’t stolen space, the cargo area boasts the same 17.8 cubic-feet of space that it does in the regular Corolla hatchback.
2023 GR Corolla Pricing And Launch
The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla is set to arrive in dealerships at some point before the end of the year. Toyota hasn’t announced pricing as of August 2022, but we expect the Core trim to start at around $30,000, the Circuit trim at around $38,000, and the Morizo Edition to be somewhere in the $40,000 range. That’s a lot of money for a Toyota Corolla, but considering what you get, it could be definitely worth it.
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