Global: Toyota teases with a GR Corolla version

The hot hatch is expected to put out 268HP’s in three-cylinders.

Toyota has been playing coy with its social media game. The Japanese car manufacturer showed a glimpse of the latest Corolla hatchback on its Instagram post. But what’s curious about this photo was the camouflaged car sitting in the shadows –a tease of a new Toyota Gazoo Racing Corolla.

Major clues can be gathered from the photo. The red special delivery container has markings of "NA G16 GR FOUR" on its body. This leads fans to think that the new model will have the same engine powering the GR Yaris, which also implies that the new Corolla will be offered in an all-wheel drive system and will be bolted with a six-speed manual transmission.

However, the real meat of this post was the blatant hint of how much power the engine is expected to make. The numbers shown on the gauge cluster strongly refers to the G16E-GTS engine that reportedly makes a total of 268-horsepowers and 266 pound-feet of torque. The fact that this power comes from only three cylinders shows how much car technology has progressed in the past decade alone.

The GR Corolla is a welcome addition to this segment, competing head-to-head with other models from this class including the popular Honda Civic Type-R and the new Mazda 3 Carbon Edition.

Toyota has always been up on its game when it comes to these matters, especially when its Japanese brothers, Honda and Nissan had been aggressive with their own signature models as well. When Nissan unveiled their new Fairlady Z, and Honda with the new Integra, Toyota answered with a full deck of cards.

Toyota has beefed up its Gazoo Racing department and has been spoiling people with a lot of models as of late. The past few years saw a complete effort from Toyota’s sportscars development, with the unveiling of the new Supra, the GR86, and the GR Yaris. Now, the humble Corolla gets its fair share of the pie.

Article by: PAULO CUENTO

December 09, 2021