It's headed our way, the Toyota GR Corolla Hatch is coming to South Africa
It's confirmed! The Toyota GR Corolla performance hatch will be coming to South Africa. Last week the rumour mill went into overdrive when a single unit was spotted on a truck heading for Johannesburg with many speculating its purpose.
Related: Toyota GR Yaris Rally (2021) video review
However, today Toyota SA confirmed that the GR Corolla will be coming to South Africa but just like the fantastic GR Yaris that has amassed a cult-like following in SA, will only be sold in very limited numbers. South Africa was not destined to get the GR Corolla as we had already been allocated the GR Supra, GR 86, and GR Yaris models with Toyota allocating only 3 model releases to a region. Our consumption of performance vehicles must have pulled a light switch somewhere as that decision was rescinded and we are now getting the " full bouquet" so to speak.
"We can safely say Toyota’s philosophy of building fun-to-drive cars is clear to see. With the GR brand’s motorsport DNA, the new GR Corolla promises to deliver on just what driving enthusiasts’ really want – high performance turbocharged power, agile and dynamic handling, and of course the looks to match,”
Glenn Crompton, Vice President of Marketing at TSAM.
The GR Corolla is built on Toyota’s GA-C platform with enhanced frame reinforcements developed specifically for the GR Corolla at the Motomachi plant in Japan. The Motomachi facility is the birthplace of legends such as the Lexus LFA and Supra A80 and is now home to the first GR production line, where GR Corolla and GR Yaris are assembled.
Under the bonnet of the GR Corolla, the G16E-GTS 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine has been further enhanced to suit the larger hatch, with a 12% increase in power to 221kW. Mated exclusively to an intelligent six-speed manual transmission, the GR Corolla employs the GR-Four all-wheel-drive system developed through Toyota’s involvement in the World Rally Championship.
Toyota South Africa has yet to confirm pricing, model lineup, or exact arrival time but is hoping for a mid-2023 arrival of the first units. If you are hoping to get your hands on one of these exclusive units you will have to be quick as they will only be sold through GR-focused dealerships.
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