The GR Corolla is pricey, yet it overshadows its little brother in almost every way.
Toyota is undoubtedly one of the best car manufacturers out there. Its approach to building cars with simplicity makes its product last for decades. It also brings an old-school type of “fun” into its sports car lineup. Take the new GR86 for an example; it’s rear-wheel drive paired with a six-speed manual gearbox powered by an adequate boxer four-cylinder, a 50-50 weight ratio, and a limited-slip differential — how basic (in a good way) is that?
Still, a hot hatchback was noticeably missing in Toyota’s lineup. Sure, there were some previous trials, like the 2018 Toyota Yaris GRMN, but it never really caught up. That was until the beloved GR Yaris was born in 2020, thanks to WRC’s complicated homologation rules, requiring a total of 25,000 production versions of the Yaris rally car to be manufactured.
No need to say that sales went through the roof, and the internet went wild about how good the GR Yaris was. While many doubted the “tamed” rally car recipe, it still blew most people’s expectations. It handles corners beautifully thanks to Toyota’s GR-four-wheel drive system, and the engine, despite the rather small displacement, turns out to be the world’s most powerful three-cylinder engine. Pair that with a six-speed manual gearbox; it sounds like one hell of a fun car, right?
However, getting a GR Yaris compliant with US regulations would have cost Toyota millions or even billions. Still, the rear half of the GR Yaris is based on the Corolla hatchback, which was already available in the country, so Toyota fitted GR Yaris’ three-cylinder engine, transmission, and brakes into the Corolla, and the GR Corolla was born.
Not only does the GR Corolla adopt the GR Yaris’ heart, but Toyota also gave it a 40 hp boost over its smaller brother, bringing the total power output to 300 hp. As a result, and despite the heavier weight, the GR Corolla runs the Willow Springs track five-second faster than the GR Yaris. And let’s not forget that it also has five doors instead of three and actually usable rear seats, as opposed to the GR Yaris’ comically small ones.
Thus, the GR Corolla ticks all the boxes as a mesmerizing hot hatchback. It’s quick, economical, practical, and makes for a superb daily driver. However, the problem starts with the GR Corolla’s rather hefty price tag. You may have assumed transplanting the GR Yaris’ engine into a Corolla would make the GR Corolla reasonably priced, but you’ll quickly find that the Circuit Edition pack (a.k.a. Morizo Edition) costs nearly $45,000 — not cheap for what is still just a Corolla, no matter how you see it.
So, it really comes down to your perspective. You can either see it as a high-performance Corolla hatchback priced like an entry-level Mercedes or see it as a nimble little rocket that puts enough smiles on your face to justify the price tag — your pick!
