Toyota is refining its hot GR Corolla hatch for 2026, and adding something everyone loves: fake engine sound.
By most accounts, the Toyota GR Corolla is a fantastic hot hatch — and part of a return to form for an automaker that spent way too long building humdrum cars. Seriously, if you’re looking at an all-wheel drive hot hatch, this 300-horsepower pocket rocket is tough to beat and definitely worth your consideration against the Volkswagen Golf R and Subaru WRX, among other front-wheel drive options in the segment. Toyota made some tweaks for 2026, and gets a with the base model now starting off at $41,195 (including $1,195 destination), or $840 more than the 2025 model.
So, what exactly has changed? Well, on the trim side, Toyota has curtailed your options from three to two. The former ‘Core’ model is now just the GR Corolla, then at the top end you still get the Premium Plus, so the mid-range Premium is gone. For both models, the automaker says it’s stiffened things up by adding 45.6 feet of additional structural adhesive in the front and rear sections of the body. There’s also a new secondary air intake duct to aid cooling to “deliver maximum engine performance for relentless power on those long drives”, because apparently that was an issue before.
On the powertrain note, though, we’re still rocking the same 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine as before. That three-pot kicks out a still-impressive 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, through either a 6-speed manual or an optional 8-speed automatic transmission. Either way, you still get all-wheel drive grip, a bulged-out hood, 15-spoke alloy wheels and Brin Naub suede-trimmed seats.
If you’re willing to stomach the financial hit, the $47,160 2026 Toyota GR Corolla Premium Plus (up $150 from last year) is where most of the goodies lie. For that sort of cash, you’ll get a 9-speaker JBL premium audio system. And that includes everyone’s favorite feature: Active Sound Control (or augmented engine noise)! In fairness, we are talking about a three-cylinder powertrain here so you could argue it needs a little help in the sound department, though that could just be an annoyance depending on your general stance toward fake sounds in your performance car.
The 2026 GR Corolla Premium Plus further adds a forged carbon fiber roof, a gloss black rear spoiler instead of a color-coded one, matte wheels instead of gloss black wheels, red stitching on your suede-trimmed seats, and a head-up display.
Even at the high price point for a Corolla — assuming you can get one local to you at MSRP — you are paying a tiny bit less than the VW Golf R. Beyond that, at least you can still get this with a manual transmission, which is not an option in the Golf R anymore (RIP).
The 2026 Toyota GR Corolla lineup will hit dealers later this fall, so expect to see them at your local dealer in the next several weeks.
