If you’re thankful for hot hatches, here’s something to get excited about.
Take a look at what Toyota shared on Instagram this week, and you’ll likely go “Meh, that’s just a ordinary Corolla”. Before moving on with your day (and the Thanksgiving holiday, if you celebrate it) — take a closer look. In today’s hot hatch pantheon of Volkswagen Golf R, Honda Civic Type R and Hyundai Veloster N, signs are looking up for Toyota to bring another option into the mix soon: the GR Corolla. The automaker hinted at that fact a few months back, but check out the photo above for some more juicy details.
The first comes in the instrument cluster, as keen-eyed folks on the GR Corolla forum point out. See that ‘G:16’ displayed for the time? That could well be a clue to the 1.6-liter G16E-GTS engine from the GR Yaris. For the uninitiated, that powerplant blasts out 268 horsepower, which the photo also hints at in the climate controls. Want another clue? It’s in the navigation (though it may be tough to read). The road says “GR Four”, which alludes to all-wheel drive.
So, put it all together, and it looks like we will get what folks in Europe have experienced in the GR Yaris over here. 268 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque, all-wheel drive, and a 6-speed manual transmission (at least as an option). The Yaris even has Torsen limited-slip differentials in the front and rear and an electronically controlled center differential, so the GR Corolla could be a beast of a hot hatch. Personally speaking, I’m so here for it: Bring it on!
Spot the last (and best) detail
The subtle Easter eggs in the standard Corolla are fun for eagle-eyed enthusiasts, if a bit easy to miss.
You know what else is easy to miss? The new Toyota GR Corolla is actually in the photo teaser above. You can’t see a lot, unfortunately, but it’s right out on the edge of the shot in what looks like white, black and red camouflage. Toyota’s take on that is “Keep them guessing…”
Indeed, we will have to do that for some time yet. Nevertheless, the GR Corolla is coming together, so 2022 could be a fantastic year to get into a new hot hatch — particularly with the existing players and the new Honda Civic Type R on the way.
