The Toyota GR Corolla Screams Hot Hatch Thrills

• The 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine makes 300PS paired to a 6-speed manual gearbox and a GR-specific all-wheel drivetrain.

• Performance wizardry includes racing-inspired suspension, a more rigid frame, limited-slip front and rear differential, multiple air vents, and a sporty spoiler.

• Cabin receives sports seats, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment, and a driver-focused 12.3-inch digital driver’s display.

While we all knew the Toyota Corolla as a sedan in India, it's actually also offered in hatchback form in markets abroad. Well Toyota’s performance division, Gazoo Racing got their hands on the hatch and have made it a hardcore performance machine in the form of the GR Corolla. Make no mistake, Toyota has practically left no stone unturned when it comes to making the Corolla a ‘hot hatch.’

The big upgrade lies under the hood. Out goes the standard model’s 2-litre four cylinder petrol mill, and in comes a G16E-GTS 1.6-litre turbocharged three cylinder engine making 300PS power and 370Nm torque. That’s close to double the power output of the standard hatch at 168PS. And the best part? It’s got a good old 6-speed stick shifter. Power is sent to a specially developed GR all-wheel drivetrain that offers 60:40, 50:50 or 30:70 power distribution adjustability to the front and rear wheels. It sucks that Toyota hasn’t kept their lips sealed on the GR Corolla’s performance numbers, but we think it’ll be quite potent off the line.

A beefier engine swap aside, the folks at Gazoo Racing have also paid attention to a variety of areas to squeeze performance out of the GR Corolla. For starters, it uses a modified version of the GA-C platform with more weld points in the frame to strengthen the joints and increase rigidity between components. It comes equipped with MacPherson front suspension struts, with a double-wishbone multi-link rear suspension setup, as well as Torsen limited-slip differentials for the front and rear axles.

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Other performance wizardry comes from aluminium hood and front doors to save weight, canards at the front and rear, air ducts on the hood, fender and rear bumper ducts as well as a flat underfloor to reduce drag and generate more downforce. It sits on 18-inch gloss black 15-spoke alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres wrapped around it. Add on beefy disc brakes with four piston calipers at the front and two piston calipers at the rear, and you’ve got a potent hatch you can drive in anger on a racetrack.

As far as looks go, the Toyota GR Corolla ticks all the boxes for a hot hatch. It’s got a very aggressive front face, with a massive mesh air intake taking up most of the real estate. It’s also got a wide body with bulgy fenders, side skirts, as well as a chunky diffuser with a three-tip exhaust setup. If you thought that was it, there’s a limited-run Circuit Edition trim which adds on a forged carbon fibre roof, vented bulge hood and a sporty rear spoiler.

Head inside, and things are familiar, but there’s a bit of sportiness thanks to fabric sports seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and aluminium pedals. The  12.3-inch digital infotainment display now displays the selected all-wheel-drive mode, turbo pressure, and gear position indicator. At the centre of the dash is a new 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with cloud-based navigation, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, as well as voice commands.

 

Prices for the Toyota GR Corolla will be announced later this year. Sure, we don’t have the Corolla name in India anymore, but it would be wishful thinking if it can make a comeback as a hot hatch. Nonetheless, the GR Corolla could give the likes of the Subaru WRX and Volkswagen Golf R a run for their money with its manic nature.