Toyota USA has debuted the 2023 GR Corolla. So while we have our own GR Yaris hot hatch, this new Gazoo Racing model is North America’s version. The GR Corolla is available in two grades: Core and Circuit Edition.
The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla (Circuit Edition shown)
What’s it like? And is it anything like the GR Yaris that we have in our market? Let’s check it out to find out.
Exterior
On the outside, the US-spec Toyota GR Corolla basically looks like a scaled-up version of the GR Yaris. It sports a similar matrix grille with functional air intakes. The said grille is then flanked by more intakes on either side.
Above that are LED headlamps with integrated daytime running lamps. There’s also a pair of LED fog lamps positioned on the far ends of the grille.
The GR Corolla from the side
From the side and rear, it gets a slender but athletic-looking profile which was no doubt optimized for aerodynamics. It rides on a set of 18-inch gloss black alloy wheels, which are then wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires. The Circuit Edition for the US market also comes with a forged carbon sheet compound as its roof.
From the rear, one can see that it gets a roof-mounted rear spoiler. Its rear bumper then comes with functional air ducts.
Size-wise, it is 4,407mm long, 1,851mm wide, and 1,478mm in height (w/ antenna). This hot hatch also has a wheelbase length of 2,639mm.
Gazoo Racing design conventions are more apparent from the rear of the vehicle
Interior
Inside, the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla gets several niceties that one would expect from a modern vehicle of its caliber. It gets automatic climate control, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, a push-to-start button, aluminum sport pedals, among others.
Being a Gazoo Racing model, many of these bits bear the GR logo. The said logo is also present on the leather and suede seats.
Check out the GR Corolla's cockpit
Other convenience features in this model include lighted foot wells, a 12-volt auxiliary power outlet, USB charging ports, a fully digital instrument cluster, among others.
As it is larger than the GR Yaris, the GR Corolla definitely looks roomier on the inside. We’re also pretty sure that it does come with better legroom than the GR Yaris.
Tech & Safety
Sitting flush on the GR Corolla’s sleek dashboard is an eight-inch touchscreen. The said headunit gets the Intelligent Assistant feature which is capable of accepting voice commands for navigation, audio controls, and air-conditioning.
This touchscreen also gets cloud-based navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, dual Bluetooth phone connectivity, and USB connectivity. Up to five devices can also connect to it as it can also function as a wifi hotspot via a subscription service.
On the Circuit Edition, the said touchscreen is linked to an eight-piece speaker set. Also present in this model is a wireless smartphone charger.
A closer look at the GR Corolla's touchscreen
For safety, the US-spec GR Corolla comes standard with the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. Of note, this is a collection of driver-assist safety technologies which includes blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, hill-start assist, lane departure warning, and lane tracing assist.
Its pre-collision system can also detect pedestrians, guard rails, and other motorists. This tech is then paired with automatic emergency braking. Before that is even necessary though, the car also comes with audio and visual collision warnings for the driver.
Engine & Performance
Just like the Philippine-spec GR Yaris, the GR Corolla for the US market uses the 1.6-liter turbocharged G16E-GTS inline-3 gasoline engine.
It was, however, tweaked to produce up to 300 horsepower and 370 Nm of torque. That figure is of course, a whole lot beefier compared to the Philippine-spec GR Yaris’ which could churn out 257 horsepower and 360 Nm of torque.
Then again, do consider that the GR Corolla is also a bit heavier than the smaller GR Yaris. Specifically, its curb weight is rated at 1,473 kg. That’s still quite light for a modern, feature-heavy, five-door, five-seater hatch, but it also means that it is 193 kg heavier than the GR Yaris.
The GR Corolla's 1.6-liter turbocharged G16E-GTS inline-3 gasoline engine
As with the GR Yaris, the GR Corolla uses the GR-Four all-wheel-drive system. This provides multiple drive settings controlled by a dial, and it sets the distribution of power to the car’s wheels.
For fun drives on winding roads, it can be set to a rear bias. For everyday driving, most of the power can be sent to the front. There’s also a balanced setting for maximum stability when one is bent on putting out serious track times.
And yes, the GR Corolla for the US market also uses a six-speed manual gearbox. Specifically, this is Toyota's intelligent manual transmission which features rev-matching in order to better control the torque that its engine produces.
Other performance bits on the car, specifically the Circuit Edition, include a front and rear Torsen limited-slip differential. The suspension is also handled by a MacPherson strut for the front, and a double-wishbone type for the rear. Both are supported by circuit-rated coil springs.
The GR Corolla doing its thing on a race track
The GR Corolla also gets a set of disc brakes. The front ones come with 4-piston calipers, while the ones on the rear are actuated by 2-piston calipers.
Would you want to see the Toyota GR Corolla on Philippine roads in the future? Can it fit into the local Gazoo Racing lineup or is your performance bug already satiated by the GR Yaris?
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