The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla has finally landed in Southeast Asia, eight months after its global debut in North America. Its regional launch was held at the 39th Thailand International Motor Expo, coinciding with Toyota Thailand’s 60th anniversary.
Toyota's latest hot hatch makes its ASEAN debut in Thailand
Compared to the GR Yaris, another hot hatch in the Toyota stable, the GR Corolla’s body style brings five doors. They do share the same 1.6-liter turbocharged 3-pot under the hood, tuned to make 296 horsepower and 370 Nm of torque for the bigger model.
Completing the powertrain are a 6-speed manual gearbox with auto rev-matching, and a GR-Four all-wheel-drive system with three modes. These launch the GR Corolla from a standstill to 100 kilometers per hour in 5.5 seconds.
The profile gives the impression that it's ready to pounce
There’s plenty that the GR Corolla brings to the table. Automatic LED headlamps and blocky air vents at the front corners flank the massive matrix grille with the GR badge on full display, just below the vented hood.
Curves on the profile emphasize muscle, while the spoiler at the edge of the forged carbon fiber roof hovers over the rear air ducts and tail diffuser spanning three exhaust tips. A set of 18-inch alloy wheels is standard, wrapped in sport radials.
The race-inspired interior features GR branding throughout
A combination of natural and synthetic leather upholstery awaits occupants at the race-inspired interior that heavily features GR branding on the three-spoke leather steering wheel, headrests, and short-throw shifter.
Monitoring the GR Corolla’s performance is as easy as glancing at the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on the 7-inch touchscreen head unit. Similar to the U.S. version, the ASEAN GR Corolla features wireless charging but no subscription-based wifi service.
Only nine units will be initially available in Thailand, with a hefty premium to boot
Apart from the seven airbags onboard, what also makes its way to the ASEAN version is Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. This brings autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, auto high beams, and adaptive cruise control.
The GR Corolla will reportedly be sold in limited numbers in Thailand. How limited? Only nine units, according to Headlightmag.com. Another potential stumbling block to owning one (for the fans at least) is the sticker price, amounting to THB 3.949 million (almost Php 6.26 million) and representing a nearly 50-percent premium over the GR Yaris.
Keep your ears to the ground where the latest models are concerned at Philkotse.com.