Toyota has a major hit with the rally homologation GR Yaris hatchback, which is sold both in Europe and — even more teasingly for Americans — Mexico. Some of our favorite automotive personalities across the pond are not just raving about the car; they’re buying them, too. Alas, Toyota has no plans to sell it in the United States.
That said…Toyota has all but promised America our own GR hot hatch based on the Corolla. And the latest reports from Japan suggest that car could be epic and relatively affordable.
Read More
Japanese outlet CarSensor, as spotted by CarBuzz, has the details. The base vehicle will reportedly be the Corolla Sport, with body modifications that include much wider fender flares. And it should pack plenty of firepower; the GR Yaris gets an incredible 257 horsepower from its turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-three-cylinder engine, but as per the report, Toyota’s target for the hot Corolla is 296 hp.
The Corolla hatch will also allegedly get the six-speed manual transmission from the GR Yaris with its automatic rev-matching. It should also boast that car’s adjustable torque-splitting all-wheel-drive system.
Besides being bigger and more practical than the GR Yaris, the report also says the GR Corolla hatchback will be cheaper. The GR Yaris starts at the dollar equivalent of a little under $37,000. The report pegs the starting price between $32,000 and $37,000 in Japan. If that carries over to American pricing, the GR Corolla could undercut rivals like the Honda Civic Type R and new Volkswagen Golf Type R.
The Corolla hot hatch is one of many exciting vehicles Toyota has on tap, including the new 300 Series Land Cruiser, the new GR 86, and some hybrid and electric pickup trucks, to name a few. The future looks bright.